Long Island 17-Year-Old Charged In Fatal Westchester Hit-And-Run: PD

YONKERS, NY — The Yonkers Police Department has arrested the suspect they believe is responsible for a hit-and-run crash that killed a 21-year-old in Yonkers earlier this week.

At around 4 p.m. on Monday, the Yonkers Police Department got a report of a crash in which a pedestrian had been struck by a car on Van Cortlandt Park Avenue.

First responders found a 21-year-old man who had been severely injured. He was rushed to the hospital, but later died. He has been identified as Jadon Bennett.

See: Westchester Hit-And-Run Leaves 21-Year-Old Man Dead

Investigators say that Bennett was earlier involved in a verbal altercation with a teenager sitting in a white Mercedes-Benz sedan near Van Cortlandt Park Avenue. Detectives believe this dispute stemmed from a previous interaction between the two over an online marketplace transaction.

According to police, as the altercation escalated, the driver accelerated his vehicle at Bennett, causing his death, before fleeing the scene. Cops say Bennett was in possession of a firearm during this altercation, but evidence revealed that no gunshots were fired at any time. The firearm, however, fell to the ground after Bennett was struck, which also caused live ammunition to fall to the ground with it, according to authorities.

The Mercedes and driver were located at an East Meadow home on Thursday. The 17-year-old suspect was taken into custody without incident. Police are not releasing his identity because of his age. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, a felony.

"Once again, Yonkers Police Detectives, in conjunction with our AWARE Crime Control Center staff, were able to locate and apprehend a suspect who is responsible for a deadly incident in our city," Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza said. "Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased. I urge our youth to find positive ways to handle their disputes so that we, as a community, do not suffer a loss of life."