BRENTWOOD, NY – A Salvadoran national who fled Suffolk County after a 2022 hit-and-run crash in Brentwood has been sentenced to prison, even though he remains on the run. Juan Morales Guerra, 32, received a sentence of 1⅓ to 4 years in state prison for leaving the scene of a crash that caused serious injury. He was convicted by a jury in March 2025, but failed to appear in court after fleeing to El Salvador two years earlier. Prosecutors say efforts are ongoing to bring him back to serve his time.
This is yet another tragic example of how so-called bail reform has eroded public safety and accountability,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said. “Despite the seriousness of the charges, the court was compelled by law to release him without bail. Unsurprisingly, he fled. We will not rest until he is returned to Suffolk County to serve his sentence.”
The crash occurred on May 23, 2022, when Morales Guerra struck a pedestrian crossing Washington Street in Brentwood with his Acura MDX around 9:50 p.m. Instead of stopping, he drove off.
The victim was rushed to South Shore University Hospital, where doctors performed an emergency craniectomy to treat a traumatic brain injury. The pedestrian has been left with permanent disabilities.
Investigators later recovered car parts at the scene and surveillance footage of the collision. Morales Guerra’s damaged vehicle was found parked near his Brentwood home. When questioned, he admitted to hitting “someone or something” and then leaving the area.
Morales Guerra was arrested in June 2022 and arraigned that September. However, under New York’s bail laws, leaving the scene of an accident with serious injury is not considered a bail-eligible offense. As a result, he was released without bond.
In March 2023, before trial could begin, investigators discovered Morales Guerra had boarded a plane and fled to El Salvador. A bench warrant was issued, but the case proceeded without him.
In March 2025, a Suffolk County jury found him guilty of leaving the scene of an incident that caused serious physical injury, a Class E felony. On August 21, 2025, Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven Pilewski imposed the prison sentence. Morales Guerra’s defense attorney was Chase Brown.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Emma Richards and Alexander Bopp of the Vehicular Crime Bureau. Detectives Steven Gargan and Jack Balaguera of the Suffolk County Police Department and DA’s Office Investigator Daniel McNicholas led the investigation.
Authorities say they are working with federal partners to track down Morales Guerra in El Salvador and return him to Suffolk County to serve his sentence.
Quick Facts About the Case
- Crash Date: May 23, 2022, in Brentwood
- Victim’s Injuries: Traumatic brain injury requiring emergency surgery; lasting disabilities
- Defendant: Juan Morales Guerra, 32, originally from El Salvador
- Charge: Leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious physical injury (Class E felony)
- Conviction: Jury verdict in March 2025
- Sentence: 1⅓ to 4 years in state prison (August 21, 2025)
- Why No Bail? The charge is not bail-eligible under New York law, meaning courts could not require bond
- Current Status: Fled to El Salvador in 2023; law enforcement is seeking his return
