Police make arrest in fatal hit-and-run crash

A Hondo man has been arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred in San Marcos on Jan. 3. 

Michael Sannicola, 28, was arrested by the Medina County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday after San Marcos Police Department collision investigators determined Sannicola was responsible for the crash that killed Iliana Velaz, 18, of Houston. 

City of San Marcos officials said Sannicola, who works as a contract worker for a North Carolina trucking company, was discovered on Amazon surveillance video arriving at its Kyle Distribution Facility approximately 15 minutes after the collision. The box truck he was driving at the Amazon facility matched surveillance photos released by SMPD in mid January, officials said. 

"After asking the public for help with identifying the suspect, our department received several tips to contact Amazon," SMPD Sgt. Sam Myers said in a statement. "Our investigators were able to positively match the truck as it pulled into the Kyle location. We greatly appreciate the public's help with this investigation, which led us to ultimately identifying the suspect."

On Jan. 3, SMPD officers responded to a crash on northbound Interstate 35 near Wonder World Drive at approximately 2:15 a.m. Officials said witnesses told police a silver Mazda and a large box truck collided where the ramp meets the main lanes of I-35, which caused the Mazda to flip. Witnesses also stated that the box truck didn’t stop and continued driving, police said. 

Officers located the silver Mazda on its side upon arrival. The lone occupant of the car, who was later identified as Velez, was pronounced dead at the scene by Hays County Justice of the Peace Jo Anne Prado.

Officials said SMPD obtained a warrant for Sannicola’s arrest. He’s been charged with accident involving death — a second-degree felony — and was taken into custody without incident. Sannicola also had outstanding felony warrants from Kendall County for one count of evading arrest in a vehicle and two counts of abandoning/endangering a child at the time of his arrest. 

Officials said Sannicola remains in the Kendall County Jail on $185,000 bond at the time of publication.