(WNY News Now) – A 30-year-old Lackawanna resident, has been sentenced to 6 months in jail followed by 5 years of probation for leaving the scene after running over 52-year-old Jose Matos with his SUV during a physical altercation on August 28, 2021.
Buffalo – Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced today that Emmanuel Muniz-Figueroa has been sentenced for his involvement in a tragic incident that resulted in the death of 52-year-old Jose Matos. The sentencing, conducted before State Supreme Court Justice Debra Givens, includes 6 months in jail and 5 years of probation for the Lackawanna man.
The incident occurred in the early hours of August 28, 2021, outside a residence on Dona Street in the City of Lackawanna. Muniz-Figueroa and the male victim were engaged in a physical altercation stemming from an argument. During the altercation, Matos brandished a kitchen knife, prompting Muniz-Figueroa to leave the scene in his SUV.
However, moments later, the defendant returned to the residence, and in a tragic turn of events, Matos ran in front of the vehicle and was fatally struck. Rather than reporting the incident, Muniz-Figueroa fled the scene. Matos was rushed to ECMC but succumbed to his injuries on August 31, 2021.
Muniz-Figueroa pleaded guilty to one count of Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting Personal Injury Resulting in Death, a Class “D” felony, on September 14, 2022. As part of the sentence, he is also required to pay a $2,000 fine, and his driver’s license has been revoked.
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