HENRY COUNTY — Henry County police have arrested a man they say hit a 16-year-old girl and left her for dead.
Robert Huynh, 19, was taken into custody at his McDonough home Wednesday evening, charged in the death of Tasia Gartner.
Investigators told Channel 2's Tom Jones that Huynh hit Gartner, left the scene and then took his damaged car to Gwinnett County to have it repaired.
Huynh lives about seven miles from where detectives say he hit and killed Gartner as she attempted to cross Highway 81 East on Monday night.
Video captured the collision and police say it also showed Huynh leaving the scene.
“I don't know what goes through someone's mind that does that,” Clay Ragsdale, Tasia's father, told Jones. “We can lay our angel of light to rest and be at peace knowing he is behind bars.”
Police say the road to the arrest of Huynh began after an investigator found a piece of Huynh's silver Honda Fit at the scene.
“The traffic investigator in this case did a brilliant job,” Capt. Mike Ireland of the Henry County Police Department told Jones.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Agents raid East Cobb home in deadly drug investigation
- Georgia prison guard has inmate's baby, pleads guilty to oath violation
- Man arrested, charged in hit-and-run death of teen
Police said Huynh took his car to an auto repair expert who identified the vehicle once officers put out that information. Detectives told Jones they received some important tips.
“We did receive information in reference to a gentleman that lives close to the incident location,” Ireland said.
Officers said witnesses told them that Huynh was telling people he needed to clean up his silver Honda Fit and take it in to be repaired.
Investigators found the car at a repair shop in Duluth. Detectives are getting a warrant to search the car.
“I mean, you can run over anything in the road. You know you ran over something. You stop to see what's going on,” Ragsdale told Jones.
Tasia's father has started a GoFundMe account to help pay for funeral expenses.