[dropcap]A[/dropcap]nchorage police say that less than seven hours after a fatal hit and run took the life of an Anchorage woman in Mountain View on Saturday evening, they have the man responsible in custody.

The identity of the woman who died at the scene was initially not released pending next of kin notification, but was released on Wednesday as that of 35-year-old Michele Kulukhon.

After APD responded to Mountain View following a report of a pedestrian being hit at 5:30 pm, they closed down the area of Orca and East 3rd Avenue to conduct an investigation. During the investigation, surveillance video of the incident was sought.

Investigators soon had a vehicle description, and at just after midnight police identified and contacted the driver. 

71-year-old Ruti Malietufa was arrested and remanded to the Anchorage Jail on charges of “Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Failure to Render Aid,” APD reported on Sunday. 

  Anchorage, arrest, fatal, fatality, hit and run, investigation, mountain vview, ruti malietufa