EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect the accurate rank of Capt. Mark Bennett. His son is Sgt. Brad Bennett. We regret the error.
HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Sebastian Abel Villarreal, 24, has been arrested on suspicion of the 2019 hit-and-run death of Melissa Jean Yates, 41, of Holland Township.
She died after being hit by a car during an altercation in the parking lot of the One Stop, 690 136th Ave. in Holland Township.
Ottawa County Sheriff’s Capt. Mark Bennett said the 20-month investigation found that Villarreal not only fled the scene and the area after his alleged involvement, but the country as well. Working with United States Marshall’s Service and police authorities in Mexico, Villarreal was located and extradited back to the U.S. to face multiple felony charges.
Yesterday, Villarreal arrived at Ottawa County Jail, where he currently awaits arraignment for Yates’s death. Villarreal, a former Holland resident, faces charges of failure to stop at the scene of an accident when at fault, resulting in death, a felony, and as a third-time habitual offender.
The other suspect in Yates’ death, Eliud Rey Vazquez 19, of Holland Township, entered into a plea agreement on charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, less than murder, a felony. He has been on probation since Jan. 20, 2020.
Bennett noted this case “illustrates the strong relation between the Sheriff’s Office and Federal authorities, especially the US Marshall’s Service.”
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