Edmonton police believe suspect in death of 13-year-old cyclist already fled Canada
Police believe a man with a criminal record, responsible for the 2024 death of a 13-year-old cyclist, has left Canada.
Police believe a man with a criminal record, responsible for the 2024 death of a 13-year-old cyclist, has left Canada.
Canada-wide warrants have been issued for Abraham Alfonso Chavez, 41, who police say is responsible for the hit-and-run death of 13-year-old Adam Edhi last year.
While Edmonton police have a stated policy of not disclosing the citizenship of suspects, investigators say Chavez may no longer be in Canada.
Publicly available documents show Chavez has faced a number of criminal charges in the past. Charges of fraud and uttering a forged document in 2018 were withdrawn, as were several drug and stolen property charges in 2021.
In 2024, around the time of the alleged accident, a warrant was issued for his arrest on a mischief charge.
Police did not indicate precisely where they believe Chavez is, but said, “it’s believed he’s not in Canada,” and that officers “are presently exploring all options including extradition to ensure he’s held accountable for all his crimes.”
Acting Sgt. Chris Deslaurier informed the public of Chavez’s disappearance during a news conference on Thursday afternoon, adding that last month, police released a photo of a blue 2017 Mazda 3 allegedly connected to the death of Edhi.
Investigators found the damaged sedan, which had not yet been repaired, in an Edmonton repair shop.
The photo shows substantial damage to the front driver’s side of the vehicle. EPS confirmed Thursday that Chavez is the registered owner.
His whereabouts are unknown, and he remains wanted on charges of manslaughter and dangerous driving causing death.
The Edmonton Police Service is working with other Canadian and international police agencies to find him.
Adam “AJ” Edhi, 13, died after being struck by a driver while bicycling to his girlfriend’s house on May 29, 2024, in Edmonton. The driver fled, and Edhi died shortly after.
In July, police said they found the vehicle believed to be involved in the crash at a local body shop.
Chavez is described as Hispanic, 4’9” tall, 150 pounds, with black hair and a black goatee.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call the Edmonton Police Service at 780-423-4567 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Had he stopped and attended to Edhi's wounds it's possible the boy would have survived.
But -
Why wasn't he deported earlier? "Publicly available documents show Chavez has faced a number of criminal charges in the past. Charges of fraud and uttering a forged document in 2018 were withdrawn, as were several drug and stolen property charges in 2021."
And so -
Had the Canadian government stopped and attended to the business of protecting the public, it's possible the boy would still be here. And others.
If someone flees after killing someone they should get extra time, like doubt the sentence.