‘He’s Already Dead’: Witness Helps Police Nab Indianapolis Woman Who Left Scene of Fatal Hit-and-Run Because She Had to ‘Pick Up Her Kids from School’

After a tragic hit-and-run in Indianapolis that killed 18-year-old Cedric “Poppi” McCombs III, the alleged perpetrator drove her usual commute for two days with “a significant amount of blood, tissue, and brain matter” underneath her car, according to court records.

The woman, Eva Marin, allegedly told an eyewitness, “I need to take my kids to school,” and then pulled a U-turn and took off, but not before seeing McCombs lying in the road bleeding with severe head injuries.

Though the death happened in November 2023, Marin was not charged until April 2024 and was booked on July 8, according to court and jail records. Police have not provided an explanation for the gap.

On the morning of Nov. 28, Marin was driving home from her graveyard work shift around 6 a.m., in a black Dodge Charger when she saw “a shadow in the road” and described to police “feeling something hit her vehicle,” an affidavit said .

When she looked back, she saw shoes in the roadway and pulled over behind Zachary Rutherford, a good Samaritan who had stopped after he noticed a body in the street.

Rutherford told police that Marin “looked like she’d been crying,” and as she walked toward McCombs, who was struggling with his last few breaths, she said, “I hope that’s not what I think it is.”

Marin later told police she felt dizzy and nauseous after seeing his extensive head injuries.

Rutherford called 911 and was instructed to perform CPR, but it was too late. As he approached McCombs, he observed him take one final breath — the high school senior died at the scene.

When Rutherford asked Marin, “Did you see who did this?” she allegedly responded, “No, I don’t know. I need to take my kids to school,” and drove away.

Police later questioned if she had called 911 when she got home, she replied, “No, he was already dead, and I didn’t do anything,” according to court documents. She claimed Rutherford told her, “I’ve got this. You can go,” but he adamantly denied this to police, saying the opposite: he tried to get her to stay, but she refused to help McCombs or leave her contact information.

While the vast majority of hit-and-runs go unsolved, police honed in on Marin with the help of surveillance video from a nearby resident. “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,” stated the affidavit.

Investigators staked out the intersection where the crash happened and spotted the exact same black Dodge Charger, which they identified through its unique aftermarket rims and police spotlight.

When they pulled Marin over, investigators said she seemed “nervous and panicked” and made “several frantic phone calls.”

Officers immediately noticed damage consistent with an impact, as well as blood and tissue behind the right front wheel well. On further inspection at the crime lab, a “significant amount” of blood and brain matter were found underneath the car.

Later, Rutherford identified Marin as the driver out of a lineup of six people, according to the affidavit.

In a GoFundMe campaign set up by his loved ones to help with the funeral costs, McCombs is described as a “loving son and big brother to his two younger siblings” who was looking forward to graduating high school in May. “He enjoyed gaming, watching anime, listening to music, spending time with his friends, and his beloved dog Draco,” it read.

Eva Marin was charged in April with one count of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, a Level 4 felony that carries a 2 to 12-year prison sentence in Indiana.

‘He’s Already Dead’: Witness Helps Police Nab Indianapolis Woman Who Left Scene of Fatal Hit-and-Run Because She Had to ‘Pick Up Her Kids from School’