Suspect arrested in connection to hit-and-run crash at Bartlett Lake

PHOENIX — A suspect has been arrested in connection to last year’s hit-and-run accident at a lake in central Arizona that left a 15-year-old boy severely injured.

Brad Allan Becker, 32, was being held on suspicion of leaving the scene of a boating accident involving serious injury or death, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office announced during a press conference Wednesday.

According to court documents, Becker was boating on Bartlett Lake with his girlfriend’s 16-year-old daughter on Aug. 5, 2017 when his boat allegedly crashed into 15-year-old Alex Medina’s, leaving Medina with life-threatening injuries.

Medina was subsequently hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury for nearly two months. He has still not fully recovered.

The 16-year-old, who was not identified, told police on Tuesday that after the collision, two good Samaritans arrived on scene to help. She told police, according to documents, that Becker then told the Samaritans that he was going to get help but instead took the girl back to where they were camping on the shoreline.

Becker then told her multiple times to “not say anything amount this incident” because he was on parole and did not want to get in trouble.

The girl stated that Becker acted as if nothing occurred, even after she noticed a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office helicopter searching the shoreline “and knew it was for them.”

When Becker was first questioned about the incident, he admitted to being at the lake during the accident but said he was not involved and only drove past the scene.

Court documents said Becker described seeing two jet skiers and another boat helping Medina in the water but denied being involved in the collision.

Becker didn’t have an attorney at his initial court appearance Wednesday. He will appear in court next on March 21.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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