Las Vegas motorist arrested, accused of killing pedestrian then painting truck

A hit-and-run suspect accused of killing a pedestrian and then painting his pickup another color was arrested last week, according to Las Vegas Justice Court records.

The Metropolitan Police Department alleges that Anthony Lopez-Meza was fleeing a crash shortly before he sped through a red light and hit Adrian Duerson, who was on a central valley sidewalk the afternoon of Jan. 28.

On Feb. 20, Lopez-Meza was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on one count each of reckless driving causing death, duty to stop at the scene of a crash, destroy/conceal evidence and driving without a license, logs show.

He did a walk-through booking and was released on his own recognizance with an order to stay out of trouble, according to court records. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for April 30.

The crash occurred in the intersection of Lake Mead Boulevard and Tonopah Drive, according to police.

A motorist told police that a GMC pickup struck her from behind about a quarter-mile from the fatal crash scene and took off, police wrote in an arrest report.

The hit-and-run vehicle continued east on Lake Mead where it ran a red light and hit Duerson, who was identified in the arrest report.

In the arrest report, police cited two eyewitnesses at the intersection. One said the pickup “flew” past her, while the other told police that he heard the pickup revving, and saw it narrowly miss vehicles.

Both reported then seeing the truck hit Duerson.

Investigators determined that the pickup was traveling at least 17 mph over the 45 mph speed limit at the intersection, police said.

Using a license plate number, detectives tracked down the pickup’s owner, who told them that her son, Lopez-Meza, drove the vehicle, police said.

Police visited Lopez-Meza’s workplace the next day and were told that he had “no call, no show,” the report said. Later that day, they went to a second address connected to the pickup’s registration and found a damaged truck.

Someone had shielded the damaged parts with vehicle cover and had spray painted the rest of the pickup yellow, the report said. The license plate had been removed, police added, noting it smelled like fresh paint.

A resident there told police that Lopez-Meza — whom he said painted the vehicle — had told him that he was “done for” because he had hit someone while fleeing a crash, the report said.

Records show a complaint and warrant for Lopez-Meza’s arrest was filed five days later, on Feb. 3. Details about his arrest were not immediately available.

His listed attorney did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.