Cops: Pedestrian killed in hit-and-run

A man crossing a street in Bay Shore early Sunday was struck and killed by a motorist who then sped away, Suffolk police said.

Nelson Mendoza, 52, of Bay Shore, was crossing Fifth Avenue just north of Candlewood Road at about 1:45 a.m. when he was hit by a car traveling north on Fifth Avenue, police said.

Mendoza, who had been about half a mile from his home, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's office, authorities said.

Detectives believe the suspect's vehicle was a dark-colored Toyota that likely has front-end and windshield damage.

Sunday afternoon, relatives and friends gathered in Bay Shore, where Mendoza rented a room in a small, two-story house.

His son, Nelson Mendoza, 18, said he last saw his father last month. He described his father as a responsible and caring person who always managed to help his mother out despite the fact the two had separated when Nelson Mendoza was 2.

"He was a good person," said Mendoza. "How do you just hit somebody and not even try to help him out?"

Family friend Jose Quintanilla, 43, said Mendoza arrived in the United States in the 1990s from San Alejo, El Salvador.

Anyone with any information about this case is asked to contact the Third Squad at 631-854-8352 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-220-TIPS.