Police interview, release suspect in fatal Phoenix hit-and-run

Police have identified and interviewed a suspect in a hit-and-run that struck and killed 60-year-old Nicandro Garcia Mendez on the Phoenix’s north side early the morning of July 7.

Detectives from the Vehicular Crimes Unit released the suspect pending further investigation. Once the investigation is concluded, charges against the driver will be submitted to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Officers responded around 7 a.m. to a call of an unresponsive man near 11th Avenue and Hatcher Road, the Phoenix Police Department said. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Injuries on the man’s body led investigators to determine quickly he had been struck by a vehicle that fled the scene, according to Sgt. John Buchanan, a department spokesman.

This is the fourth hit-and-run reported in the Valley in the last two weeks.

Anyone with information is asked to call Phoenix police or Silent Witness at 480-948-6377 or 480-837-8446 for Spanish speakers.

This is an updated version of the story originally published on July 8, 2026.

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