RENO, NV — A Reno family is still grieving nearly two months after five-year-old Emilio was struck and killed in a hit-and-run crash near East Ninth Street and Dolomite Circle. Police say the vehicle involved was driving without headlights when it hit the child on Aug. 17 and then left the area.
His mother, Yosavel Elias, says the loss remains hard to accept. Reno police say they have the suspected car and a person of interest, and a warrant request is now with the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office for review.
Mother says the loss still feels unreal
Elias said the family continues to live with shock and grief after the crash. She described waking up each morning still struggling to believe her son is gone.
She said the pain affects the whole household, including Emilio’s siblings. Elias said she is trying to support four children who are grieving in different ways while also coping with her own loss.
The family says Emilio had been outside with other neighborhood children when a ball rolled away and he ran after it. Moments later, the car passed through the neighborhood and struck him.
Police say they have a vehicle and a person of interest
Reno police have not publicly identified the driver, but Lieutenant Tom Yturbide said investigators have developed enough information to seek a warrant. He said the request is now awaiting action from the district attorney’s office.
Yturbide said the department has the suspected vehicle in its possession and has a person of interest in the case. Elias said she has not yet heard an update from the detective assigned to the investigation.
For the family, the most important thing is answers. Elias said she wants justice for her son and wants the person responsible to be held accountable for driving away.
Neighbors gathered for walks and renewed calls for change
After the crash, neighbors began meeting on Thursdays for a “walk for change” as a way to show support and raise concerns about traffic safety in the area. Elias said the community has been deeply affected, including people who did not know Emilio personally but knew him as a cheerful child who was often outside with his brothers and friends.
She urged drivers to be more careful in neighborhoods where children are likely to be playing near the street. Her message was simple: where there is a ball, there is often a child nearby.
City reviews safety measures near schools and crosswalks
The crash has renewed attention on East Ninth Street, an area surrounded by three schools. City traffic engineer David Hutchinson said Reno revisited school-zone devices after an earlier 2019 crash at East Ninth Street and Manhattan Street, when two children were hit in a collision tied to sun glare.
Those earlier changes included high-visibility crosswalks, flashing pedestrian warning devices, improved school-zone signs, and walking paths through neighborhoods to schools. The pedestrian warning sign near Emilio’s crash site is now being upgraded as well.
Hutchinson said the roadway also serves as a primary emergency vehicle route for firefighters, which limits some traffic-calming options. He said devices such as speed bumps can damage fire apparatus, so the city must be careful about what it installs in the street.
Traffic data show mixed picture for East Ninth Street
City records show Emilio was the first fatal crash reported on that stretch of road since Reno began keeping crash data in 2017. From July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026, the section of East Ninth Street from Sutro Street to Shoshone Drive saw 19 crashes.
According to the city, that number is lower than the average for similar Reno roads. A recent speed survey near the crash site found an average speed of 24 mph and an 85th percentile speed of 29 mph in a 25 mph zone.
The city generally does not consider speed bumps unless the 85th percentile is seven miles per hour above the posted limit. Even so, neighbors say many drivers still move too fast through the area.
Officials point to engineering, enforcement and education
Reno traffic safety efforts are often described through three E’s: engineering, enforcement and education. Hutchinson said the city’s engineering response has focused on improving school-zone devices and crosswalk visibility, while police continue to press safety concerns through enforcement efforts.
Yturbide said changes in Nevada law a few years ago made many traffic violations civil infractions instead of criminal charges, which has affected how officers approach some cases. He said he believes the public needs to understand the consequences of dangerous driving.
He encouraged neighbors who want broader change to bring their concerns to the Legislature when it returns to session next year. For Elias, though, the issue remains far more personal: she says her son was chasing a ball, and he never should have died that day.