MESA, Ariz. - The Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced that a 36-year-old man has been sentenced for his role in a deadly hit-and-run crash.
What we know:
Per a statement released on Jan. 21, 2026, Ian Omar De La Pena was sentenced to 12 years in prison, followed by seven years of supervised probation, for his role in causing a deadly crash in the area of Greenfield Road and McKellips.
Court documents released by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office state that there is a 352-day credit for De La Pena.
The backstory:
While the MCAO statement did not mention when the incident happened, court documents related to the suspect state that the incident happened on July 26, 2023.
Per MCAO, De La Pena was headed south on Greenfield Road when he failed to stop for a red light near McKellips Road.
"[De La Pena] rear-ended a vehicle stopped in a left-turn lane, pushing it into the intersection. Additional vehicles were involved as the collision unfolded," read a portion of the statement. "One person was killed in the crash, and several others were put at risk."
Dig deeper:
Prosecutors said per witnesses, De La Pena was driving at a very high speed in the moments before the crash, and was also "passing vehicles in the two-way left-turn lane before merging back into traffic."
"After the crash, De La Pena fled on foot but was located nearby thanks to witnesses," MCAO wrote. "Officers observed signs indicating De La Pena was impaired. He was found with pills, including fentanyl, and a blood test later confirmed drugs in his system."
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from a statement released by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.