‘He was already dead’: Mother allegedly flees fatal hit and run in car covered in brain matter because ‘I have take my kids to school’

Eva Marin (left) in a Marion County Jail mug shot; Cedric McCombs III (GoFundMe)

Two days after an Indianapolis, Indiana , woman is accused of leaving the scene of a deadly hit-and-run , telling a witness “I need to take my kids to school,” she apparently took the same route, was stopped by police, and authorities then found “brain matter” underneath her Dodge Charger, court documents allege.

The case against 40-year-old Eva Marin stems from an incident on Nov. 28, 2023, a collision that the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said cost 18-year-old Cedric “Poppi” McCombs III his life as he walked around 6 a.m. “near the north bike lane of Southeastern Avenue.”

Authorities said that Zachary Rutherford, a witness who called 911 that morning, saw a black Dodge Charger with its hazards lights flashing on the side of the road and a woman who “looked like she’d been crying” next to McCombs’ body.

“I hope that’s not what I think it is,” the woman said, according to the witness who tried to save McCombs.

“Mr. Rutherford said he approached the victim and noticed the severe injuries to his face and head and then observed the victim take one final breath,” documents said, describing the woman at the scene as looking like “she was going to get sick.”

After that, the woman allegedly got in the Dodge Charger, “did a u-turn,” and drove off. Police said a nearby resident’s surveillance video indicated that the Dodge Charger was involved in the collision.

“On the camera equipped with audio, Detectives can hear the screeching of tires as the dark vehicle approaches the crash scene until and through the moment of impact,” the affidavit said.

Theorizing that the driver drove the same route everyday and around the same time, cops two days later pulled Marin over at the intersection of at Southeastern Avenue and Wildwood Farms Boulevard.

Police said that Marin appeared “nervous and panicked” and made “several frantic phone calls” after she was stopped, and moments later an officer noticed “what appeared to be blood, brain matter and tissue near the passenger side bumper” of the Dodge Charger.

During a subsequent interview, which Marin allegedly agreed to sit for, she recalled driving after getting off of her work shift and seeing a “shadow in the road” and then “feeling something hit her vehicle,” the affidavit said.

“She said she looked down to push the button to turn the heat off and then felt her vehicle move side to side,” according to cops.

Marin allegedly claimed that witness Rutherford arrived a short time later and asked her “Did you see who did this, did you see someone or anything?”

“No, I don’t know. I need to take my kids to school,” Marin allegedly said.

While Marin allegedly claimed that Rutherford responded “I’ve got this. You can go,” the wtiness said that was not the case.

“He said never, at any point, did he tell Ms. Marin she could go. Mr. Rutherford said he tried to get her to stay, but she kept repeating ‘I have to take my kids to school,'” the affidavit said. “Mr. Rutherford said she didn’t try to help the victim, call 911, or give any other information.”

Marin allegedly confirmed to a detective during the interview that McCombs “was already dead and I didn’t do anything.”

When investigators took a closer look at the Dodge Charger, they said there was “a significant amount of blood, tissue, and brain matter on the underneath side of the vehicle.”

Rutherford identified Marin out of a lineup of six people as the woman he encountered on the day of the deadly crash, the affidavit said.

Under Indiana law , leaving the scene of deadly accident without providing “reasonable assistance to each person injured” and without notifying authorities is a level 4 felony that is punishable upon conviction by two to 12 years in prison .

As of Thursday morning, court records did not show a defense attorney of record for Marin. Although McCombs’ death occurred in November 2023, Marin was not charged until April and she was not booked until July 8, court records and jail records show.

Law&Crime reached out to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office for clarification on the gap between the April warrant and the July booking. Jail records say Marin was released from custody on the morning of July 10 and that she has a court appearance on the morning of Friday, July 12.

A GoFundMe campaign started in McCombs’ memory said that he was a “loving son and big brother to his two younger siblings,” and that he was a Franklin Central High School senior looking forward to graduating the following May.

“Poppi was loved deeply by many, especially his family and we will miss him dearly,” the GoFundMe said.

Read the affidavit of probable cause here .

The post ‘He was already dead’: Mother allegedly flees fatal hit and run in car covered in brain matter because ‘I have take my kids to school’ first appeared on Law & Crime .