Boanerges Benitez-Cruz, 47, was sentenced to seven years in prison on March 28, 2025, after pleading guilty to Collision Involving Death in connection with a 2022 hit-and-run that killed a 75-year-old woman in Irving.
The case was prosecuted by the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office Vehicular Crimes Unit. Investigators William Martinez and Ronald Cathcart and Paralegal Maria Cantrell assisted with the case. The Irving Police Department led the initial investigation.
According to court records, the incident occurred on October 19, 2022, as Benitez-Cruz was driving home from a church service in his 2000 Toyota Echo. At the intersection of Irving Boulevard and Church Street, he struck Annette Celestine Williams, who was crossing the street. Benitez-Cruz fled the scene without stopping or calling for help.
Good Samaritans who witnessed the crash captured the suspect’s license plate number. Officers located the Toyota Echo at an Irving apartment complex registered to the defendant. The vehicle showed extensive damage, including a large dent in the hood, a shattered windshield, and a dented roof — consistent with the victim’s body striking and tumbling over the car.
Benitez-Cruz admitted he was the driver, claiming he believed he had struck a bicyclist. He did not render aid or report the incident.
Despite having no prior criminal history and being eligible for probation, Benitez-Cruz received a 7-year sentence after the judge heard testimony from both prosecution and defense witnesses.
