Authorities search for clues in fatal Hayward hit and run

HAYWARD, Calif. (KTVU) -- A man injured in a hit and run Wednesday night has died from his injuries, and now Hayward Police are looking for witnesses and surveillance video to help them track down the driver responsible.

His roommate Pasqual Bautista identified the victim as Salvador Garcia. He told KTVU Garcia was almost like a brother to him.

"He's my friend maybe ten years. We are together in the apartment. He is my family," said Bautista.

But Garcia never made it home from work after his Wednesday shift. It was Hayward Police who showed up at the apartment instead.

"They said problem with head. Only an accident," explained Bautista.

In fact, investigators didn't know what to make of the situation at first. Just before 10 p.m. Wednesday, Garcia had been found bleeding in a parking lot at 2660 West Winton just steps from where he worked.

Hours later, he died from his injuries.

Police concluded he had been struck by a car that took off. Authorities are hoping surveillance cameras or witnesses may lead them to that vehicle, or that someone might spot a car with damage.

"We would expect that the vehicle would have sustained some type of damage to the front, maybe to the hood, bumper, or broken glass," said Hayward Police Lt. Eric Krimm.

Garcia had been coming to work at his temp job at Special Logistics when it happened. As he did every night, he would take the last scheduled bus, then wait two hours for his midnight shift to start.

His colleagues describe him as humble, hard-working, and the kind of man who always had something nice to say. Now they are just hoping for answers about his death.

"We're hoping somebody around here, that there will be cameras, or a witness or maybe a truck driver sleeping out there. Maybe they saw something. And hopefully they'll step forward and say something. And hopefully that clue will lead to whoever did this," said Eduardo Morones with Special Logistics.

There are surveillance cameras toward the front of the parking lot, though police don't yet know if they captured an image of the car.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Hayward Police.