Hero on horseback helps NJ cops nab hit-and-run driver: ‘Ultimately solved the case'
It's the real-life Lone Ranger!
A suburban cowboy and his trusty steed, Shiny, have been credited with helping southern New Jersey police identify and arrest an alleged hit-and-run driver.
Italo Lalvay Guaillasaca, 22, allegedly fled the scene after crashing into a car parked on Middleton Street in Riverside Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, on the morning of May 31.
Witnesses who called 911 after hearing a loud crash said they watched Guaillasaca's vehicle speed from the scene.
Soon after Riverside Township cops arrived, the horseback-riding buckaroo PJ rode up to them on Shiny.
The man on horseback — police only identified him as PJ — provided police with a description of the fleeing Honda Accord along with a partial license plate.
He told police he witnessed the hit-and-run and giddy-upped after the Honda.
'PJ was able to ride after the vehicle and get close enough to 'read part of the plate,' which he then 'passed on to police.'
Without PJ and Shiny's gallant efforts, they may not have solved the case, the department said in a statement.
He only happened to be riding through town to show off Shiny to some friends.
'We want to thank the witnesses in this case for being observant, coming forward, and making the calls to our officers,' reads the Riverside Township Police statement. 'We'd especially like to thank PJ and his sidekick 'Shiny' for their efforts to get us the information that ultimately solved the case.'
Guaillasaca was charged with careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, driving without a license and failure to report an accident.
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