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Teen back home after hit and run, driver arrested months later

Posted at 7:14 PM, Feb 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-09 23:23:15-05

UPDATE | Jorge Soria was arrested Thursday morning thanks to a Crime Stopper tip.

He tried to hide behind a mobile home in the area, but was arrested without incident.

He was delivered to Orient Road Jail for a Manatee County felony traffic warrant and was also charged with leaving the scene of a crash with serious injury and driving with a suspended driver's license.

ORIGINAL STORY | Cameron Fuller, now 14-years-old, has many reasons to feel blessed.

First, his parents say he was born premature, weighing barely two pounds.

"He's a miracle baby," said his dad Richard Fuller.

Now, he's thankful to be alive again after being hit by an SUV while riding his bike on New Years Eve.

RELATED: 13-year-old bicyclist critically injured in hit and run on U.S. 41

"It's like I got a second chance of life," he said.

Investigators tracked down the SUV that hit him, but his driver, who took off after hitting him is no where to be found.

"We're provided with information that some of his family is quite possibly helping him avoid detection," said Trooper Christopher Wells, from the Florida Highway Patrol.

Wells is the first hit-and-run investigator for the Bay area.

The position was created this past summer, after administrators realized hit-and-run accidents were only becoming more common.

In fact, one in four accidents around the state was a hit and run in 2016.

"It's very concerning," said Wells.

Wells says the increase is due mostly because of more people moving to Florida from out of state.

"With more and more people here all these problems continue to grow," he said.

Florida Highway Patrol reports more than 5,000 hit-and-run accidents in Hillsborough Co. during 2016 and more than 4,000 in Pinellas.

A little more than half of hit and runs result in the driver being caught.

In Cameron's case, investigators know the driver they're looking for is Jorge Soria.

However, until someone tips them off about his whereabouts, they can't arrest him.

Richard Fuller now has a plea for Soria.

"Quit being a coward and have some remorse," he said, "you have to feel something, you cannot just be out there knowing what you did.

Crime Stoppers is now offering a reward for any tip that leads to Soria's arrest.

You can call remain anonymous and call 1-800-873-tips or report information online at www.crimestopperstb.com.

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