New Port Richey man, 62, arrested in January hit-and-run death of pedestrian

Ten months later, state troopers have arrested a 62-year-old New Port Richey man in the January hit-and-run death of a pedestrian.

James Robert Altenhofen surrendered to troopers Monday and was booked into the Pasco County Jail on a charge of leaving the scene of a crash involving a death, the Highway Patrol said in a news release.

The crash occurred about 12:50 a.m. Jan. 11 along the east shoulder of Little Road, just south of the intersection of Heritage Lake Boulevard.

The victim, a 27-year-old New Port Richey man, was walking north along the east shoulder of Little Road when his mother pulled her vehicle into a left-turn lane on Little Road and parked to give him a ride home, the Highway Patrol said.

The victim was walking across Little Road to get in when he was hit by a 2002 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck headed north.

DNA evidence later found on the pickup confirmed it had been involved in the hit-and-run and Altenhofen was arrested, the Highway Patrol said.