Suspect in bicyclist's hit-and-run death pleads not guilty
SEATTLE - The man accused in the hit-and-run death of bicyclist Michael Wang pleaded not guilty to the charge Thursday in King County Superior Court.
The suspect, Erlin Garcia-Reyes, 28, of Normandy Park, also was ordered held on $500,000 bail and placed on a detainer requested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in case he should post bail.
Garcia-Reyes was represented by an attorney, but no family or friends showed up to support him at Thursday's court hearing.
He was arrested earlier this month and charged with felony hit-and-run more than 10 months after Wang, 44, was struck and killed by an SUV near the intersection of Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street as he was riding his bike home from work.
A witness told police the driver was trying to turn left onto Thomas when a line of oncoming cars began approaching. The driver quickly made the turn and hit Wang, the witness said.
The driver didn't stop, and Wang died at short time later at Harborview Medical Center.
Police quickly converged on the crash scene, but the driver was already gone.
A reward of thousands of dollars was offered for information about the driver, but nearly a year went by with no arrests.
At a June 7 news conference, Seattle Police Assistant Chief Paul McDonagh said investigators have been working since the crash to try to identify the driver. Officials did not say exactly what led them to Garcia-Reyes in Wang's death, but said help from the community played a major role.
Court papers obtained later by KOMO News show that police began focusing their investigation on Garcia-Reyes in April after learning he was the registered owner of a 2002 Chevrolet Suburban that was believed to involved in the hit-and-run.
Officers interviewed Garcia-Reyes at his home, and he admitted to detectives that he had been involved in an accident with a bicyclist in July 2011 and that he had fled the scene, according to court documents.
Garcia-Reyes then agreed to guide detectives to the spot where the collision had taken place, and it was the exact spot where Wang was struck and killed, court papers show.
Garcia-Reyes was then placed under arrest.
Wang rode his bike every day between his Shoreline home and his office at at PATH, a health-care nonprofit aimed at improving health around the world. Wang worked as a facilities manager and photographer for the organization.
The suspect, Erlin Garcia-Reyes, 28, of Normandy Park, also was ordered held on $500,000 bail and placed on a detainer requested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in case he should post bail.
Garcia-Reyes was represented by an attorney, but no family or friends showed up to support him at Thursday's court hearing.
He was arrested earlier this month and charged with felony hit-and-run more than 10 months after Wang, 44, was struck and killed by an SUV near the intersection of Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street as he was riding his bike home from work.
A witness told police the driver was trying to turn left onto Thomas when a line of oncoming cars began approaching. The driver quickly made the turn and hit Wang, the witness said.
The driver didn't stop, and Wang died at short time later at Harborview Medical Center.
Police quickly converged on the crash scene, but the driver was already gone.
A reward of thousands of dollars was offered for information about the driver, but nearly a year went by with no arrests.
At a June 7 news conference, Seattle Police Assistant Chief Paul McDonagh said investigators have been working since the crash to try to identify the driver. Officials did not say exactly what led them to Garcia-Reyes in Wang's death, but said help from the community played a major role.
Court papers obtained later by KOMO News show that police began focusing their investigation on Garcia-Reyes in April after learning he was the registered owner of a 2002 Chevrolet Suburban that was believed to involved in the hit-and-run.
Officers interviewed Garcia-Reyes at his home, and he admitted to detectives that he had been involved in an accident with a bicyclist in July 2011 and that he had fled the scene, according to court documents.
Garcia-Reyes then agreed to guide detectives to the spot where the collision had taken place, and it was the exact spot where Wang was struck and killed, court papers show.
Garcia-Reyes was then placed under arrest.
Wang rode his bike every day between his Shoreline home and his office at at PATH, a health-care nonprofit aimed at improving health around the world. Wang worked as a facilities manager and photographer for the organization.
