DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Police arrested the man accused of intentionally running down and killing a Daytona Beach man.
Christopher Moore, 19, was arrested in Georgia and charged with fleeing the scene of a crash with a death for the alleged hit-and-run homicide of Roger Martin, 41, over the weekend
“From what I've seen in my 28 years of policing, not only was this great police work, this was an out and out cowardly, despicable act and what (Moore) intended to do, (he did). He murdered somebody in cold blood," Daytona Beach police Chief Mike Chitwood said.
Chitwood said he hopes state attorneys upgrade the charge to murder.
Detectives identified the vehicle from surveillance video as a green 2000 Dodge Caravan registered to Stanley Warren in Valdosta, Georgia.
Daytona Beach detectives worked with Lowndes County, Georgia, detectives and determined Warren, Travvon Rutledge and Christopher Sauders were identified at witnesses to the homicide. Officials said all three cooperated with investigators.
Investigators believe the incident started after an altercation at Crusin Cafe in Daytona Beach, which led to a second altercation near Peninsula and Auditorium. Officials believe Moore was in the area on spring break.
Police said Martin put the suspect's van into drive, which caused it to role forward into a pole.
Detectives said Moore told Rutledge and Sauders that he was "about to get them" and began driving aggressively to catch up to Martin and Peter Blais, a friend of Martin's.
Witnesses said Moore ran several red lights and crossed medians to catch up with Martin and Blais, who were on motorcycles.
"If you think you're going to come here because of spring break and you can run people down or shot people in the chest, it (isn't) going to happen. We're going to do everything we can to come and get you," Chitwood said.
Moore is expected to be extradited to Volusia County at a later date and additional charges are pending, according to authorities.
The family of a Martin spoke with Channel 9 Thursday.
The family said they can't begin to grieve until an arrest is made.
"You know his kids deserve answers. We all deserve peace," his family said.
Daytona Beach police released three new videos Wednesday of a vehicle in a fatal hit-and-run accident from over the weekend.
The video shows a dark-colored van, which officials believed to be Moore's, with a person hanging out of the driver's side as the vehicle rounds the curb.
Police believe Moore hit and killed Martin as he was riding his motorcycle Sunday on Fairview Avenue.
A second video police released shows the van zooming past the camera with sparks coming out the back end as it drags the motorcycle and possibly Martin.
Authorities told said earlier this week they found Martin's motorcycle on Ridgewood Avenue, a block away from his body.
Investigators said the suspect left Martin on the side of the road, where he died.
The third new video from police shows a better shot of the suspect’s vehicle at an intersection, making a turn.