Girlfriend Arrested in Man's Death

Arrest Made After Yearlong Investigation

By MIKE SPRINGER

Updated 2:47 PM EST, Sun, Nov 15, 2009

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A 51-year-old woman was charged Saturday in connection with the death of a man who was found mortally injured in the parking lot of an Old Saybrook motel last year.

Police charged Elena Hernandez of Manchester with felony evading responsibility in connection with the death of Felix Diaz in November 2008.

Hernandez is being held on a $50,000 bond and will appear in Middletown Superior Court on Monday, November 16.

Last November, Old Saybrook Police responded to the Comfort Inn on Essex Drive after receiving a report of a man laying motionless in the parking lot.

When officers arrived on scene, they discovered Diaz unresponsive and attempted to resuscitate him. He was transported to Middlesex Memorial Clinic where he succumbed to his injuries.

It was later determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner that Diaz died due to multiple blunt force trauma that police believe was the result of being struck by a vehicle.

Through their investigation, police determined Elena Hernandez had been with the victim at the Comfort Inn the day he died.

In an interview, Hernandez told investigators she and Diaz spent the day together, shopping in the Waterford area before returning to Old Saybrook around 4:00 p.m.

Police said that Diaz and Hernandez had visited several restaurants where they consumed alcohol, but it was never determined if Diaz was intoxicated.

Police collected a cell phone, a 2006 Nissan Altima and other evidence including bloodstains at the scene.

Investigators determined that Hernandez was behind the wheel of the Altima that struck Diaz. He was talking on the phone at the time he was run down, and died from the injuries he sustained.

The investigation is ongoing and police say that additional charges may be filed.