"She was so compassionate and a very charitable person," said Mario Mendoza.
Mendoza's eyes fill with tears as he remembers his aunt, Maria Hernandez. She was sweeping near the foot of her driveway Sunday morning when a car swerved and struck her. The driver sped away.
"We are trying to overcome, to understand it," said Mendoza.
Police say Mrs. Hernandez was partially in the bike lane when she was hit. Eyewitnesses report seeing the driver first smash into a pole, but say he didn't stop or break, even after running the woman down.
"Once the car kept going, that's when I saw something down there and I turned and there was a lady on the ground," said witness Ora Siner.
"When I looked, I thought he hit a bicycle," added witness Evelyn Drain. "I never would have thought it was that lady."
Mendoza refuses to judge the person who killed his aunt, but hopes that driver comes forward to give his family peace of mind.
"He has to be responsible for it," said Mendoza.
Police only have a vague description of the driver and vehicle. They say it was an older man with graying hair, and the car he was driving was a grey or silver Nissan or Honda.
If you know anything about this case, call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
