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West Haven man, attempting to flee to Mexico, charged in Seymour double fatal hit-and-run crash

A couple from Shelton was struck on Dec. 10 while trying to cross the road on an officer's signal.

SEYMOUR, Conn. — An arrest has been made on a double fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a Shelton couple in front of a funeral home, Seymour police said.

Chief Paul Satkowski said at a Thursday afternoon press conference that the arrest came after the department received an anonymous tip identifying the suspect.

"To the person that made the tip from my family to you, thank you. Words cannot convey, they just can't express the gratitude that my family has," said Ken Tamborra, the victims' son.

Officials said the man responsible is 24-year-old Jair Irigoyen-Flores, of West Haven. He is charged with two counts of misconduct with a motor vehicle and one count of evading responsibility involving a death.

Seymour PD got the tip shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday and responded to his home soon after. 

"Our backs were literally against the wall on that if we did not have enough to hold him, we couldn't hold him so obviously we just kicked everything into high gear and executed the best we can," Satkowski said.

Irigoyen-Flores was taken into custody without incident on Thursday morning.

The vehicle involved in the fatal crash was later discovered in the area of Park Street and Chapel in New Haven.

Investigators revealed that Irigoyen-Flores was set to flee the country prior to his arrest. He purchased a ticket to Mexico for Thursday morning from JFK International Airport in New York, according to Chief Satkowski.

Irigoyen-Flores' bond was set by a judge at more than $1 million. He will appear in court again on Feb. 14, 2022.

The Tamborra's son had a message of thanks on Thursday afternoon. 

"We still have a gaping hole, but at least this will help us to heal. Just thank you," he said.

After attending a wake at the Miller-Ward Funeral Home on Dec. 10, along Route 67 (Bank St.), James and Barbara Tamborra, of Shelton were being escorted across the street by a police officer who had stopped traffic. But, only the westbound traffic stopped.

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The  Acura SUV heading east, whose model year police said is between 2014-2016, ignored the officer's signal to stop, according to officials. Mr. Tamborra died shortly after the crash. Mrs. Tamborra passed away five days later.

Credit: FOX61
James and Barbara Tamborra, of Shelton, who were struck and killed by a car December 10.

A local business owner shared a surveillance video that showed the SUV  speeding right to left across the screen.

On December 14, several lawmakers sent a letter to the Department of Transportation commissioner asking for a road safety audit to be conducted given significant traffic increases along this stretch of Bank Street between Seymour and Oxford.

RELATED: Seymour double fatal hit-and-run investigation progressing

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Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.  

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