Maribel Perez, 39, Dies in Fatal Lamesa Hit-and-Run as Suspect Is Arrested Hours Later

 Maribel Perez, 39, died early Saturday after a pedestrian was struck on U.S. 180 West in Lamesa, Texas, in a fatal hit-and-run crash. Lamesa police were called at approximately 1:13 a.m. to the 2400 block of U.S. 180 West after receiving a report that a vehicle had hit a pedestrian. Officers arrived to find Maribel in the roadway, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. The circumstances surrounding her presence on the roadway have not been publicly detailed. Police did not immediately release further information describing the sequence of events leading to the impact, leaving important questions for investigators to resolve as the case develops.

Investigators identified the vehicle involved as a white Ford Mustang. According to the information released, the driver did not remain at the scene after the collision and instead traveled east toward Lamesa without stopping to provide aid. The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation, particularly for a family that must wait for investigators to establish what happened. Authorities have not publicly released additional details about the vehicle's movements before the impact.

The investigation moved forward in the early morning hours. About four hours after officers first responded, at approximately 5:17 a.m., Lamesa police and the Texas Department of Public Safety located the suspected Mustang at a residence on North 12th Street near Highway 137. A 27-year-old man, Aaron Aguilar, was arrested and booked into the Dawson County Detention Center. The arrest does not resolve the investigation, and the criminal process remains ongoing.

Aguilar faces charges of intoxication manslaughter and failure to render aid resulting in death. Those charges are allegations, not findings of guilt, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Evidence gathered by investigators, court proceedings, and any additional official information may clarify the circumstances, including what occurred before and after Maribel was struck.

For Maribel's family and friends, the legal case is only one part of what happened Saturday morning. She was 39 years old, and her death ended a life that had extended far beyond the brief details contained in a police report. The available account does not provide verified information about her occupation, family relationships, interests, or other personal details, so those parts of her story should be left to people who knew her rather than filled with assumptions.

The investigation remains important because authorities must work through the sequence of events surrounding the collision and the actions that followed. In this case, police have confirmed the location and approximate time of the response, the vehicle description, the later discovery of the suspected vehicle, and the arrest. This timeline also shows how quickly the investigation progressed, from the emergency call to the discovery of the suspected vehicle later that morning. Until additional facts are officially established, speculation about speed, impairment, visibility, or other contributing factors should be avoided.

Maribel Perez's death leaves a painful absence for the people who loved and knew her. Her name is now connected to a fatal crash on U.S. 180 West, but that roadway incident represents only one moment in a life that was much larger than the investigation. As authorities continue pursuing the case, her family and friends are left to mourn a sudden loss while awaiting answers. Remembering Maribel with dignity means honoring the person behind the case while allowing verified facts, rather than speculation, to guide the story.