Belvidere woman, 20, charged in fatal August hit-and-run of Genoa bicyclist

GENOA – A Belvidere woman faces criminal charges two months after the conclusion of a Genoa police investigation following a fatal hit-and-run collision that killed a 59-year-old Genoa man in August.

Lucia Romero, 20, of the 2600 block of Spring Creek Road in Belvidere, is charged with a motor vehicle accident involving death, a class 1 felony, failure to stop or render aid and failure to exercise due care, according to a Genoa Police Department news release. in the Aug. 10 collision that killed Concepcion Ortega, 59, of Genoa.

If convicted, the woman could face a up to 15 years in prison, with a minimum sentence of four years.

Romero has been free of police custody after the August crash pending the conclusion of an investigation by Genoa police, who said in a news release she has been cooperative with officers since she was approached by police at her Belvidere home the evening after the hit-ad-run.

A DeKalb County warrant was issued for Romero’s arrest Oct. 21, according to court records.

Romero was arrested by Genoa police Oct. 27 and posted $5,000 bail on a $50,000 warrant, the release states. She’s since been released and is ordered to appear before a DeKalb County judge for a status hearing on the charges at 9 a.m. Nov. 9, court records show.

The Aug. 10 crash was reported around 5:56 p.m. as a car versus bicycle crash near the intersection of First and Washington streets, according to Genoa police.

When police arrived, they discovered the man had suffered major injuries. He was taken to Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb, where he later died.

Police reported at the time that alcohol was not a factor in the crash.

The investigation was conducted through the Boone County Sheriff’s Department, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office and the DeKalb County Coroner’s Office.