Canadian man charged in fatal Pharr hit-and-run

PHARR — A Canadian man faces felony charges after he allegedly struck a man with his truck and drove away.

Gilles Jodoin, 59, of Quebec, Canada, faces a charge of causing an accident involving death, a third-degree felony. A Pharr municipal court judge arraigned him Thursday evening.

Jodoin allegedly struck Mario Flores, 47, of Pharr, on Monday night as Flores was riding his bicycle. Jodoin was driving his truck south on the Cage Boulevard frontage road near Sioux Road before the incident occurred, the police report shows.

Officers who arrived at the scene found Flores lying in the roadway near the 3100 block of North Cage Boulevard, showing no signs of life, according to the police report. Police also found a severely damaged bicycle there.

Hidalgo County Justice of the Peace Rosa Treviño pronounced Flores dead at the scene.

Police found a Ford emblem at the scene and a cracked, plastic license plate holder. Investigators believe a driver in a truck had struck Flores and left the scene of the accident.

Jodoin read about the incident in a newspaper and turned himself in to police Thursday, admitting to police that he had struck Flores with his truck, court documents show.

He remained in Hidalgo County Jail on Friday night in lieu of a $35,000 bond. If convicted, he faces two to 10 years in jail and maximum fine of $10,000.

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Zack Quaintance covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4447.