Man accused of deadly hit-and-run in Gwinnett denied bond
A Gwinnett County judge denied bond for a man accused of a fatal hit-and-run and called him a “danger to the community” Wednesday.
Damien Arroyo Burgos, 44, is accused of hitting 61-year-old Darwin Dixon on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard on Feb. 4 and driving away, leaving him to die, AJC.com previously reported.
MORE: Man charged in Gwinnett hit-and-run, 61-year-old man killed
Burgos’ attorney, Kalpin Shah, told Channel 2 Action News his client thought he hit a deer instead of a person, which is why he shouldn’t be charged with vehicular homicide, hit-and-run, driving without a license and other traffic citations.
However, Duluth police Officer William Alexander testified in court, saying surveillance video tells a different story.
“In the video, you see the victim go in a defensive position ... he knew he was going to get hit,” Alexander said. “The defendant slowed down after the contact ... saw brake lights.”
Dixon was hit around 9:50 p.m. as he was attempting to cross the street. Burgos was arrested the next day.
“We intend on litigating this matter,” Shah said. “We intend on showing he did not know he hit a person.”
Dixon’s son told Channel 2 his father had been in Georgia for only a short time, and he said Dixon would still be alive if Burgos was a law-abiding citizen.
Burgos has remained in the Gwinnett County Detention Center since his arrest. He also has a hold placed on him by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, jail records show.
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About the Author
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
