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Suspect Wanted In Deadly Queens Wrong-Way Crash Caught In Connecticut

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A suspected hit-and-run driver has been arrested in Connecticut exactly one month after a beloved Queens bar owner was killed in a wrong-way crash on a Long Island Expressway service road.

Peter Rodriguez, 36, was arrested on Tuesday morning after police received a tip that he was in or near Connecticut.

 

Around 6:45 a.m. on Oct. 15, police said Rodriguez crashed into a livery cab killing 37-year-old George Gibbons who had just closed up his "Gibbon's Home" bar in Maspeth.

Rodriguez fled the scene and Gibbons was pronounced dead on arrival.

"Finally we have relief," the victim's' sister, Bernadette Gibbons, told 1010 WINS. "We are just ecstatic to find out that finally we can have a bit of peace of mind and that George can go on to rest now, knowing that finally this creep is captured."

Police said Rodriguez will face charges in Queens either Wednesday or Thursday.

"The streets are safer for not only our family but for every person walking around," Gibbons said.

Queens Bar Owner George Gibbons
Gibbons standing next to his sister Bernadette in his Queens bar on St. Patrick's Day 2011. (credit: Family Handout)

Sources said Rodriguez has a history of arrests for both narcotics and assaults.

"We have everyone to thank for all of their help," Gibbons said. "It goes to show what a bit of community and support does. It really does go a long way and we just can not say thank you enough to everyone for everything they've done for us."

On Sunday, hundreds in the community offered their support to the victim's family during a rally.

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