Eric Pagan

In hopes of finding the driver who struck a 13-year-old boy last week, the original anonymous donor has increased the reward by an additional $1,000 – bringing the total reward up to $3,000.

“There are a lot of people in our community who care about Eric and his family and want to see justice served,” Trish Routte, coordinator for Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers, said in a prepared statement. “While this young man is in a hospital room trying to recover from his injuries, the driver is walking around without consequences. We are all dedicated to ensure that the person responsible for Eric’s injuries is identified and found quickly.”

Eric Pagan was walking home on Richmond Avenue North at about 8:30 p.m. Aug. 25 when a driver struck the teen near Windermere Drive, knocking him into a water filled ditch nearby. A family member happened to be driving in the area and found Eric lying in the ditch.

He was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries, including broken bones. Over the course of the weekend, he had improved to stable condition, according to officials.

On Aug. 28, Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers reported that an anonymous donor pledged an additional $1,000 to the existing reward for any information that led to the driver’s arrest.

“Eric was walking in a residential neighborhood when this occurred, and the driver didn’t even have the decency to stop to render aid or even call 911,” Routte said in a prepared statement on Aug. 28. “We are asking anyone who resides or frequents that part of Lehigh to report any information they may have seen or know, or any vehicle damage that could be consistent with a hit and run crash.”

“This could have simply been an accident, but the minute the driver made the conscious choice to leave the scene, it turned into a felony crime and someone will face justice for their irresponsible actions,” she added.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-780-TIPS (8477). All callers will remain anonymous and will be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers and $1,000 from the anonymous donor. Tips may also be made online at: www.southwestfloridacrimestoppers.com or by submitting a tip on the P3Tips mobile app.

Source: Lee County Sheriff’s Office