A 19-year-old man died Wednesday after being run over last week in the parking lot of a west Little Rock shopping center.
The victim, Justin Duft, was listed in critical condition after the Dec. 26 hit-and-run and was pronounced dead Wednesday, police said. The suspect driver, 20-year-old Nathan Schneider, surrendered to authorities Tuesday.
One witness told police Duft had approached Schneider's vehicle at the parking lot to apologize for a fight the previous week, but the situation ended with Schneider running over Duft, court records say. The witness also reported that Duft had punched Schneider before he was run over.
Another witness said Duft and Schneider had been arguing in recent weeks over a woman they were both interested in and had fought the previous week over Schneider making comments to the woman, according to the court documents.
Duft's step-grandmother, Patricia Garrett, said the 19-year-old was taken off life support Wednesday.
"He was a wonderful kid, and everybody loved him," she said.
Little Rock police are not considering Duft's death a homicide until they receive a ruling from a medical examiner, according to Little Rock police spokesman Michael Ford.
If the death is ruled a homicide, he said it's unclear if the killing would be included in city's 2017 homicide total or with 2018's total.
"We are trying to get some clarification on that," he said.
Schneider was arrested on one count of first-degree battery. Ford said Little Rock police or the Pulaski County prosecuting attorney's office could upgrade the charges.
Officers found Duft lying unresponsive in the parking lot of a shopping center at 13000 Chenal Parkway on Dec. 26.
Witness Bradley Johnson told police he and Duft traveled to Rock City Vapes on Dec. 26 to meet with Abbie Peters, the woman the two men were arguing over, and another woman, according to an affidavit. The witness said they were all at the shopping center when Schneider arrived.
According to the documents, Johnson said he was in his vehicle when he saw Schneider and Duft in an altercation. He said he then saw Schneider "put his vehicle in reverse and then speed forward and run over Mr. Duft who was lying on the ground."
Detectives also interviewed Peters, who said she and the other woman left work at Rock City Vapes and got into Johnson's vehicle, according to the court documents. She told police Duft walked over to Schneider's vehicle to apologize for the fight that occurred the previous week.
"Ms. Peters stated that Mr. Duft went to hug Mr. Schneider's girlfriend before leaving and that she punched Mr. Duft in the face," according to the affidavit.
She said Duft began arguing with Schneider and then started punching Schneider in the face, according to the documents. Schneider then backed up the vehicle, causing Duft to fall, Peters reported. She said Schneider then accelerated forward and ran over Duft, according to the affidavit.
"Ms. Peters stated that it appeared as if Mr. Schneider intentionally ran over Mr. Duft before leaving the scene at a high rate of speed," according to the affidavit.
Police also said two employees at a nearby Five Guys restaurant witnessed the hit-and-run. The affidavit said both employees told police the driver of the vehicle appeared to intentionally turn the vehicle toward the victim and run over him.
Schneider was listed on the Pulaski County jail roster Wednesday.
NW News on 01/08/2018