For Immediate Release

Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Methuen Police Arrest Suspect in Fatal Hit-and-Run

The Methuen Police Department will address the media at the police station at 9 p.m.

METHUEN — Chief Joseph Solomon reports that the Methuen Police Department has arrested the alleged driver of a vehicle that struck and killed an 11-year-old girl on Thursday evening.

STEVEN TORO, AGE 22, OF LAWRENCE was arrested Saturday evening and charged with:

• Motor Vehicle Homicide
• Leaving the Scene of a Personal Injury Accident
• Leaving the Scene of a Personal Injury Accident Resulting in a Death in Order
  to Avoid Prosecution or Evade Apprehension
• Failure to Yield
• Speeding
• Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle

At 9:45 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7, 11-year-old Jadee Soto was crossing Broadway near Kirk Street in Methuen with her father when a vehicle, allegedly driven by TORO, struck her at a high rate of speed.

TORO allegedly made no attempt to stop before or after the crash and instead fled from the scene down Broadway into Lawrence. Soto was taken to Lawrence General Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

After the incident, the Methuen Police Department urgently took to social media and distributed photos and videos to the news media. A flurry of tips came in, and one of the tips led police to TORO.

“The community is our eyes and ears, and information provided to police by members of the public directly resulted in an arrest nearly 48 hours after this horrific incident,” Chief Solomon said.

TORO is being held on $100,000 cash bail at the Methuen Police Department and will be arraigned Monday at Lawrence District Court.

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