Albuquerque man charged in fatal hit-and-run that killed bicycle safety advocate

Yahoo

12-02-2025

Feb. 11—The Albuquerque Police Department has identified a suspect in the January hit-and-run crash that killed a cyclist known for giving back and touting bike safety to the community.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Jose Ivan Rios Sanchez, 24, of Albuquerque. Rios Sanchez is charged with knowingly leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and careless driving in the death of 64-year-old Chuck Malagodi.
Police were able to identify Rios Sanchez and the pickup involved in the incident through surveillance video, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.
Around 4 p.m. on Jan. 19, APD's Fatal Crash Team responded to a call of a crash in the 3500 block of Kathryn SE, near Carlisle. When they arrived, they saw Malagodi's body on the road.
Witnesses told police they saw a white Dodge Ram "traveling at a high rate of speed" narrowly avoid hitting a vehicle, lose control and almost drive into Burton Park. The driver continued east on Kathryn and hit Malagodi, throwing him 10 to 13 feet in the air, police said.
The driver sped off down Carlisle, the complaint states.
A witness took photos of the truck and gave them to police, who asked officers to be on the lookout for it. Hours later, police found the truck with damage to its front end and beer cans and bottles inside parked at a home in the 3400 block of Anderson SE, blocks away from where the hit-and-run took place, according to the complaint.
Investigators spoke with two men at the home, including Rios Sanchez, who told police he saw another man get out of the truck, switch vehicles and drive off, police said. On Jan. 29, Rios Sanchez's landlord identified him in surveillance video and the pickup as belonging to him, police said.
Anyone with information about Rios Sanchez's whereabouts is asked to call 505-242-COPS or report it to Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers at 505-843-STOP (7867) or p3tips.com/531.