Man Arrested in 2020 Hit-and-Run Fatality in the Greater Fifth Ward Area

Norman R. Randell, 22, has been arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred on March 1, 2020, at 1300 Lockwood Drive in the Greater Fifth Ward area.

Randell faces charges of murder in the 482nd State District Court following the incident. The victim, identified as Miguel Aguila, 51, tragically lost his life during the events.

The sequence of events unfolded when Aguila observed his white Ford F-250 pickup truck being stolen. Alongside two witnesses, Aguila pursued the suspects in another vehicle. Aguila caught up to the suspects at the intersection of Lockwood Drive and Market Street and approached the F-250 on the driver’s side.

As Aguila attempted to intervene, the suspect behind the wheel accelerated, with Aguila clinging onto the truck. The suspect drove recklessly, making a U-turn on San Juan Street and proceeding north on Lockwood. However, the situation took a devastating turn when the suspect veered off the road into a cemetery in the 1300 block of Lockwood. Aguila fell from the truck and sustained fatal injuries.

The truck, still occupied by three individuals including the suspect, continued north on Lockwood until it crashed at the intersection of the East Freeway service road. The occupants fled the scene on foot.

Following an intensive investigation by HPD homicide detectives, Randell was identified as the suspect.

On March 8, 2024, members of HPD’s Northeast Crime Suppression Team apprehended Randell, leading to his subsequent charges in connection to the incident.