Family seeks justice in 48-year-old Kissimmee man's hit-and-run death

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. - Surveillance video released by Florida Highway Patrol earlier this week showing a driver checking on a bicyclist he's suspected of hitting in Kissimmee and then taking off may be key evidence in the case, but for the victim's family, it's a painful reminder of what happened to their loved one.

"I couldn't see it. I had to run out crying. It was just hurtful. It was just pain. Pain," Stella Garza said. "To know that he walked off on my son and left for dead just on the ground … that was hard."

FHP says the unidentified driver hit Robert Centeno II, 48, about 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 12 while he was riding his bicycle near Poinciana Boulevard and SR 535. 

He was taken to the hospital, but his family in San Antonio, Texas, did not know Centeno had been hurt until days later because he didn't have his ID on him.

"My son was classified as a John Doe, and that was really, really hard on me because he has a name. He has a name," Garza said.

She says a nurse at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital, where Centeno was being treated for his injuries, noticed his cell phone in the room and connected it. Centeno's father, by luck, was then able to get through, and that's how the family found he was fighting for his life.

Jessica Gallegos, Centeno's younger sister, says she and the family immediately flew to Florida after learning what happened to him. 

"We know he felt us, and we know, too, he had peace knowing that his family was right by his side," she said.

Garza was thankful for the little time she had left with her only son.

"The Lord gave me three day full days with my son. … We were able to hold him and caress him and talk to him and read scripture to him and all that, and that was just precious time that I'm always grateful for," she said.

Centeno died from his injuries 11 days after the hit-and-run. A celebration of life is scheduled for Sunday, March 17, at Friendship Church in San Antonio.  

Now, his family is on a mission to get justice for him. 

"Someone has to turn [the driver] in. Someone has to have the [conscious] mind. The spirit has to work to be able to turn this man in," Garza said.

FHP says the silver Hyundai Elantra seen in the video likely has damage to its front right side. 

If you know anything, give FHP or Crimeline a call at 800-423-TIPS.