By John Curran, The Associated Press
WILDWOOD, N.J. (AP) - An off-duty police detective who allegedly struck and killed a pedestrian has been charged with drunken driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
Darrell Shelton, 31, a seven-year veteran of the Wildwood Police Department, was also charged with having an open container of alcohol in his Dodge pickup.
At about 2 a.m. Saturday, Shelton’s vehicle struck Pablo Barrios-Salas, 29, of Wildwood, as he crossed New Jersey Avenue, according to Acting Cape May County Prosecutor Robert H. Codey.
Barrios-Salas, who worked two jobs and regularly sent money home to his wife and 6-year-old son in Mexico, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Shelton has been suspended pending an investigation into the accident, according to Lt. James Rybicki, chief of detectives for the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office.
Barrios-Salas was with other people walking along the east side of New Jersey Avenue when he crossed the street and was hit by Shelton’s vehicle, which was heading south, Rybicki said.
A witness called police and a Wildwood police officer pulled Shelton over a few blocks from the scene, Rybicki said.
Shelton’s attorney, William Subin, declined comment. Police Chief Joseph Fisher referred calls about Shelton to the prosecutor’s office.
Barrios-Salas, who came to the U.S. three years ago for work, had been planning a trip home to San Juan Colorado in Oaxaca, Mexico, in November, after the closing of the seasonal restaurant where he worked here, a co-worker said.
His family’s grief was compounded by the fact that the driver was a police officer and he allegedly left the scene, said Louis DeVoto, a Cherry Hill attorney representing Barrios-Salas’ family.
“My clients were more in disbelief at that - that an officer of the law would leave the scene. They just couldn’t fathom it,” DeVoto said.
The family is struggling to raise the $7,000 needed to send Barrios-Salas’ body back to back to Mexico for burial, but has received assistance from a victim fund run by Cape May County, DeVoto said.
Barrios-Salas, who worked a day job as a landscaper, worked nights as a dishwasher at Chiarella’s Ristorante in Wildwood.
“He came in, did his job and that’s it,” said chef Vincent Chiarella. “He was a nice kid. We were just talking the other day and he said he couldn’t wait to go back home after we close.”
“He was an awesome kid, a great guy,” said maitre’d Thomas DeFino.
Barrios-Salas, who worked Friday night and got off about midnight, was almost to the curb when he was struck, said DeVoto, citing witness’ accounts.