Grand Jury indicts Gilcrest woman involved in fatal hit and run
Published on September 19, 2024
GREELEY, Colo. (Weld County D.A.) – The Weld County Statutory Grand Jury issued an indictment last week for the December 4, 2023 hit and run death of Michael Wallen in Greeley, Colorado.
Ana Caren Romero was charged with Leaving the Scene of an Accident, a class 3 felony.
On December 4, 2023, just after midnight, the victim was riding his bicycle across the street in the 2300 block of 8th Avenue, when he was struck by a motor vehicle. The vehicle did not stop at the scene of the crash.
Mr. Wallen was transported to the North Colorado Medical Center and was pronounced deceased at 12:57 a.m. An autopsy determined the cause of death was from multiple blunt force injuries to the vertebrae, skull and ribs and a lacerated liver and spleen.
Officers from the Greeley Police Department Traffic Unit responded and processed the scene. They recovered pieces of debris that were identified as coming from a 2017 – 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee and obtained video surveillance footage from two local businesses that showed portions of the crash. Neither recording showed the vehicle slowing or stopping following the crash.
In the evening hours of December 4, 2023, the Greeley Police Department was contacted by an attorney representing the Defendant and he reported that his client’s vehicle was involved in a traffic accident that same day and that it was located at her residence.
Officers responded to her address and confirmed it was a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee that matched the video surveillance and eye witness description. The vehicle, registered to the defendant, had front-end damage consistent with the debris located at the scene and paint transfer of a color consistent with the victim’s bike.
The defendant’s phone records showed two calls to a friend of the defendant within minutes of the crash. Officers attempted to speak to the friend but she declined to speak to law enforcement at the time.
The friend would later testify that she spoke to the defendant on the phone several times after the crash through later in the day on December 4, 2023. Romero told her that she had struck something or someone and had later seen the media story about the crash and knew that someone had died. The defendant claimed that she was going to turn herself in that day but the friend became aware that never occurred.
A Weld County judge issued a no-bond warrant and the defendant was arrested on Monday September 18, 2024. Romero is scheduled for a virtual bond hearing today at 2:00 p.m. in the Weld County Courts.
The Weld County District Attorney’s Office commends the Greeley Police Department Traffic Unit for their investigation into the case. No other information will be released at this time.