Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele, Whitmarsh Township Police Chief Christopher Ward and Springfield Township Police Chief Michael E. Pitkow announced today the arrest of Shakim Elias Mendez, 18, of Flourtown, for Homicide by Vehicle and other charges.
According to the report, Mendez was involved in the November 8, 2024 crash that killed 35-year-old Artemio De La Rosa Martinez of Norristown as he was doing landscaping work with his brother along the roadway.
The U.S. Marshals arrested Mendez without incident at a residence in Wilmington, Delaware yesterday, officials said.
The afternoon of the incident, Whitemarsh Township Police responded to a 911 call for a report of a vehicle-pedestrian crash. Police arrived at 6011 West Valley Green Road in Flourtown to find the victim deceased and lying on the edge of the northbound lane.
A dark-colored Chevy Malibu with a temporary and fraudulent Delaware license plate was abandoned at the scene. The driver had fled on foot, police said.
Police found Mendez’s wallet inside the vehicle. A crash investigation by Whitemarsh Township Police, Springfield Township Police and Montgomery County Detectives found that Mendez was driving the Malibu southbound at a high rate of speed and in a reckless manner when his vehicle struck Martinez.
“The investigation found that Mendez’s vehicle hit Martinez with such force that he was thrown 168 feet from the point of impact,” officials said in a statement. “The force of the impact was so severe that one of Martinez’s shoes was found stuck in a tree 36 feet above the ground.”
A post-crash inspection of the vehicle revealed that the Malibu was traveling between 68 and 70 miles per hour. West Valley Green Road has a posted speed of 25 miles per hour.
“Further, the vehicle inspection found that due to a black disk mounted to the windshield and the positioning of the driver’s seat, which was reclining at a 49-degree angle at the time of the crash, there was only seven inches of visible space out the Malibu’s front windshield, significantly obstructing the driver’s view,” officials said. “Additionally, the investigation found that the Malibu was not insured at the time of the crash.”
Through witness accounts, traffic cameras and other investigative means, detectives learned that Mendez ran east on the walking trail that parallels West Valley Green Road and was picked up by his brother, who was driving a red Chevrolet Impala. At 5:35pm, Philadelphia police spotted the Impala in the area of Ogontz Avenue and Shoppers Lane in Cheltenham Township and initiated a traffic stop. The vehicle attempted to flee but was eventually stopped.
Mendez was charged by Philadelphia police with Fleeing and Attempting to Elude Police and was released on $50,000 unsecured bail.
On December 2, 2024, an arrest warrant was issued for Mendez for charges related to the fatal crash. Mendez is charged with Homicide by Vehicle, Accidents Involving Death or Personal Injury, Fraudulent Title Registration, Failure to Stop and Render Aid, Reckless Driving, Obstructed Window, Unsworn Falsification to Authorities and other charges.
Mendez is in the process of being extradited from Delaware back to Montgomery County, at which time he will be arraigned and a preliminary hearing will be scheduled, officials said.
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