An elderly man is behind bars after police say he left the scene of multiple accidents with injuries on Tuesday.
On November 19, the Gulfport Police Department arrested 78-year-old Elio Gonzalo Fombellida and charged him with one count of Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Personal Injury and one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance.
At approximately 5:42 p.m., the Gulfport Police Department responded to a reported accident involving a pedestrian near 25th Avenue and 19th Street.
The investigation revealed that Fombellida initially collided with a UPS truck and fled the scene. He subsequently struck a pedestrian and went on to collide with two additional vehicles.
Officers located Fombellida in his vehicle, where he attempted to evade law enforcement.
However, he was eventually stopped and arrested without further incident. During a search, officers discovered cocaine in his pants pocket. Fombellida admitted to placing the cocaine there, claiming that a friend had left the bag in his vehicle and that he did not want officers to find it.
Fombellida was processed and transported to the Harrison County Adult Detention Center, where he is being held on a $300,000 bond.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the Gulfport Police Department at 228-868-5959 or Mississippi Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898.
