Juan Molina-Salles, the man charged with a hit-and-run crash that killed Pinellas County deputy Michael Hartwick in September 2022, changed his plea to guilty on Friday. The incident occurred while Deputy Hartwick was working a traffic detail on I-275, providing security for ongoing construction. Molina-Salles, driving a front loader, struck and killed Deputy Hartwick before fleeing the scene. After an hours-long search, he was taken into custody and charged.
Molina-Salles, a Honduran national who was in the country illegally, admitted to the crime post-arrest. The case was complicated by many undocumented construction workers giving false names to detectives. Despite being deported once, Molina-Salles re-entered the country illegally and had been in Tampa since March 2022.
Before changing his plea, a victim advocate read a statement from Hartwick’s son, emphasizing his father’s dedication to service and sacrifice. The sentencing for Molina-Salles is scheduled for March 4, with a mandatory minimum of four years and a maximum of 20 years in prison for leaving the scene of a crash involving death.
The guilty plea brings some closure to the tragic loss of Deputy Hartwick and allows his family and the community to begin the healing process. The case serves as a reminder of the dangers faced by law enforcement officers and the importance of holding individuals accountable for their actions.
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