KEW GARDENS, Queens (PIX11) -- Charged with the fatal hit-and-run of a toddler, a 20-year-old man is set to go before a judge at a criminal court, while the family of the child remains in deep sadness in their home neighborhood of Flushing.
Kevin Gomez faces charges related to the death of Quintus Chen, the three-year-old who was killed when an Infiniti Q-50 sedan ran over him on Wednesday evening and kept going. Police say that Gomez was behind the wheel of that car.
At least two surveillance cameras recorded the tragic incident, which happened just before 6:40 p.m. on Wednesday, near the intersection of College Point Blvd. and 41st Ave.
They show the boy and his father cross the street, with the child ahead of his dad. Just after the two get across, the boy darts in front of a parked, white Infiniti sedan.
From another surveillance video angle, a man is seen getting into the Infiniti just before the incident. Police say that the man seen on camera is Gomez, who was arrested Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, at the home of the three-year-old victim, there was great sadness and a tragically unchanged bedroom.
Some toys will no longer be played with, and a bed that sits permanently empty.
Quintus Chen's parents chose not to speak publicly on Friday when PIX11 News visited their home.
The day before, however, the boy's mother, who asked not to be identified, spoke about her only son.
"He's a sweet boy, he's adorable," she said, in an interview. "He's so loving. We miss him so much."
On Wednesday, minutes after the tragedy, the car, a 2014 Infiniti Q-50, was left abandoned five blocks away. It was not reported stolen, initially.
That situation led to Gomez's arrest. He now faces at least two charges leaving the scene of an accident, resulting in death; and permitting the unlicensed operation of a vehicle.
As of Friday evening, he was scheduled to make a first appearance before a judge before night court closed.
Also on Friday, a GoFundMe up to help the toddler's family pay for his funeral and other expenses was growing exponentially.
On Friday afternoon, officers were dispatched to the intersection in Flushing where the crash had occurred.
"We're just reminding everybody to use your turn signal, obey the speed limit, and obey the signs," an officer told motorists waiting at a red light in the intersection.
It was part of an awareness effort intended to prevent more tragedies like the one that took the life of Quintus Chen.
His family members, on Friday morning, said that they weren't sure if they would attend Gomez's first appearance before a judge.
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