Clues left in wreckage lead to arrest of Streamwood hit-and-run suspect

Fastidious investigation of an hours-old hit-and-run scene led to the arrest of a suspect last week in Streamwood.

According to a Streamwood police report, a resident of the 200 block of Ascot Lane told officers on Feb. 21 that a driver had run into both his car and a neighbor's car. The resident said the damage could have occurred as long ago as Feb. 17.

An officer found several pieces of the damaging vehicle's front end, including Chevrolet's iconic logo. The officer found the part number on the back side of the logo, looked it up and found that it was used for 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu models.

Later, the officer patrolled the streets around the crash site and found a late-model Chevrolet Malibu with "extensive front-end damage" on the 600 block of Ascot Lane. The officer spoke with the car's owner, Gerald R. Monahan, 63, who authorities say admitted he struck another car."

Monahan was charged with leaving the scene of a property-damage accident. He has an April 6 court date.