SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A husband and wife arrested after a deadly hit-and-run crash were both granted bond by a judge Thursday afternoon, despite concerns from prosecutors that the couple was “packing their bags” after the incident this weekend.
Christopher Canet, 37, and his wife, 39-year-old Belkis Rodriguez, are both facing charges following Saturday night’s crash on U.S. Highway 17-92 in the Fern Park area.
According to a newly released arrest affidavit, a witness saw a white BMW SUV exit the ramp from State Road 414 and cross over the marked bicycle lane while merging onto 17-92. The witness told troopers that the SUV’s headlights “illuminated a person on a bicycle,” and they saw the SUV’s brake lights right before the crash.
At a first appearance hearing on Thursday, a prosecutor told the judge that Canet was the one driving the vehicle, and based on the facts of the arrest report, “He saw the bike. He hit the bike. He did not stop. He chose to leave the scene.”
[WATCH: Husband, wife arrested for hit-and-run crash that killed bicyclist]
The report states that after the 25-year-old victim, Jordan Morrison, was thrown from the bike, Canet allegedly continued driving 1.2 miles down the road, where he pulled into an AutoZone parking lot. Our News 6 team saw the scrapes and gauge marks noted in the arrest report that were left behind by the bicycle as it was dragged by the vehicle.
“At that point, when the bike is dislodged, he did not call 911. Instead, based on the arrest report, he contacted his wife,” the prosecutor argued Thursday.
Surveillance cameras in the area captured a driver in a white BMW SUV getting out of the parked vehicle and examining the damage, the report states. Shortly after, a white Hyundai SUV arrives that troopers believe Rodriguez was in.
Troopers say they received a tip the day after the crash, and went to the couple’s home in Casselberry, where they saw the damaged white BMW SUV in the driveway. According to the arrest report, investigators spoke with both Canet and Rodriguez. He “claimed he struck a ladder that was in the roadway,” the report states.
[WATCH: FHP locates suspect vehicle in deadly hit-and-run crash]
During a recorded interview with Rodriguez, she reportedly told investigators that Canet had called her to pick him up and said “something” impacted his windshield.
The arrest report also states that neighbors told law enforcement they saw the couple packing bags into Rodriguez’s white Hyundai, and that employees at Canet’s business told troopers they were informed that the pair would be “out of town” for the week.
“He was trying to flee, your honor,” the prosecutor told the judge Thursday. “I don’t know if they were going out of the country, but they were packing their bags to go somewhere, and it just happens to be right after he hit someone.”
An attorney representing Canet and Rodriguez said his clients are not flight risks, and said they had been working to coordinate with the Florida Highway Patrol since Monday.
Our News 6 crew spoke to attorney Jacob Stuart following Thursday’s hearing.
“I think it’s important to remember that they will have their day in court, and that all people are innocent until proven guilty,” said Stuart. “Even when horrible things happen like the death of someone on a bicycle.”
Thursday afternoon, a judge granted Canet an $85,000 bond. He faces a first-degree felony charge for leaving the scene of a deadly crash. Rodriguez, who is charged with accessory after the fact, was given a $15,000 bond.
If they do get out of jail, they will be required to surrender their passports and wear GPS monitors.