Name: Woman charged in hit-and-run that killed beloved grandfather
Uploaded: 2025-12-30T16:17:03.022Z
Duration: 2 min 10 s
Description: Heidy Zelaya-Almendarez, 24, pleaded not guilty in court on Monday. She has been charged in the hit-and-run death of a beloved grandfather in Freeport.

Heidy Zelaya-Almendarez, 24, pleaded not guilty in court on Monday. She has been charged in the hit-and-run death of a beloved grandfather in Freeport.

Freeport

A 24-year-old woman, Heidi Zelaya Almendarez, has been charged in connection with a hit-and-run that resulted in the death of 76-year-old Octavio Espinal in Freeport, New York. Espinal was struck while crossing North Grove Street at Brooklyn Avenue on November 8 and died about a week later in the hospital, with his organs donated to others.

Police arrested Zelaya Almendarez nearly two months after the incident, charging her with leaving the scene of a fatal incident and tampering with physical evidence. Surveillance footage reportedly showed her attempting to hide the car involved. She has pleaded not guilty and posted bail, while her defense attorney is questioning whether she was the driver.

Woman charged in hit-and-run that killed beloved grandfather

This morning, a Hawaiian dance woman faces charges nearly two months after police say she was behind the wheel of a hidden run that killed a beloved grandfather in Freeport News 12 Long Island. Jonathan Gordon is back at that very intersection where it happened. Now with new details, Jonathan. Well, the memorial with flowers and candles at the crash site continues to grow behind me across the street. I mean, take a look at this intersection here. Pedestrians are telling me this morning that it can be confusing. Particularly when you have a four way intersection, sometimes with the red light, the other side with the yellow yield. And they say pedestrians sometimes are the ones who are on the very dangerous end of this. And now you have a heartbroken family with all of this new information. They're finally getting some answers and there's hoping for some justice as well. 76 year old Octavio Espinal was crossing this street here. North Grove Street at the intersection of Brooklyn Avenue when he was struck by a sedan back on November 8th was right in broad daylight just before 2 p.m. In Freeport. About a week later, Espinal died at the hospital. His organs donated to save the lives of other Long Islanders. Yesterday, Nassau County police said they arrested their suspect, Heidi Zelaya Almendarez. They charged the 24 year old with leaving the scene of an incident without reporting a fatality and tampering with physical evidence. It took investigators nearly two months to make an arrest. According to prosecutors, Zelaya Almendarez fled the scene, but it wasn't until police said surveillance video from her Hawaiian Danch home showed that she tried to hide the car in her backyard. Pedestrians I'm speaking with this morning tell me that they, too, have difficulty crossing this road. It's not really safe. You basically have to wait until cars pass and, you know, the pedestrian right away is non non existent. It's a lie. Almendarez I played pleaded not guilty at her arraignment and also posted bail. According to court records, her defense attorney trying to throw some down into this investigation says the defense team is looking into whether she was actually the one who was behind the wheel during this fatal hit and run. We're in Freeport, Nassau County, Jonathan Gordon News 12.

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