March 28, 2024

Arrest in fatal hit-and-run

Ria Renouf says she is relieved to be getting some closure after the arrest of a man accused in the 2010 hit-and-run death of her aunt Virginia Itubay in Burnaby.

Vincenzo Moscato Peragine, 29, of Coquitlam is charged with leaving the scene of an accident causing death to escape criminal and civil liability.

Mounties also displayed the black 1993 BMW allegedly involved in the fatal accident.

Itubay, 73, was struck by a vehicle — described at the time as a black older-model BMW — on Jan. 21, 2010, at 3:30 p.m. while crossing the intersection of Willingdon Avenue and Kitchener Street. She died in hospital the next day.

Itubay’s body was flown back to her native Philippines for burial.

Renouf said it is believed her aunt, who she described as a “warm, loving and happy woman,” was on her way home from either grocery shopping or church when she was hit.

“There isn’t even a word to sum up what I felt,” she said about learning of the arrest Monday. “I was happy, I was upset, questions of ‘why’ came back again. … I woke up and I thought it’s going to be a good day because now we’re starting to get all this closure that we so desperately wanted.”

RCMP Insp. Tim Shields said Peragine is not known to police and alcohol was not a factor.

There is no indication the collision was anything more than an accident, he added.

But Shields said police believe that there was significant damage to the suspect car that has been repaired.

Peragine’s next appearance in court is scheduled for Jan. 31.

Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver

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