Lackawanna Man Sentenced for Leaving the Scene of Incident After Running Over Victim With His Vehicle

Emmanuel MunizFigueroa, 30, of Lackawanna was sentenced before State Supreme Court Justice Debra Givens. He received a split sentence of 6 months in jail followed by 5 years of probation.

On August 28, 2021, at approximately 2:14 a.m., the defendant and the male victim were involved in a physical altercation following an argument outside of a home on Dona Street in the City of Lackawanna. During the fight, the victim displayed a kitchen knife and the defendant drove away in a SUV.

Moments after leaving the area, the defendant drove back to the residence where the victim ran in front of the vehicle and was subsequently run over. The defendant drove away from the scene without reporting the incident. The victim, 52-year-old Jose Matos, was taken to ECMC where he died from his injuries on August 31, 2021.

Muniz-Figueroa pleaded guilty, as charged, to one count of Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting Personal Injury Resulting in Death (Class “D” felony). The defendant pleaded guilty to the only count in the indictment against him on Wednesday, September 14, 2022.

As part of his sentence, Muniz-Figueroa was also ordered to pay a $2,000 fine and his driver’s license was revoked.