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Mexican man, Ruben Santiago-Lopez, charged in hit-and-run death of doctor enters not guilty plea

Posted at 3:06 PM, Nov 17, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-17 17:06:20-05

A Mexican man accused in the hit-and-run death of a Phoenix doctor has pleaded not guilty.

Maricopa County Superior Court officials say 26-year-old Ruben Santiago-Lopez entered his plea Thursday to a charge of leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

Santiago-Lopez was arrested last week after he turned himself in at the Nogales port of entry.

Police say Dr. Robert Arceci died at the scene after a landscape truck turned in front of him while he was riding his motorcycle in Scottsdale in June 2015.

The 65-year-old Arceci was hematology/oncology division chief at Phoenix Children's Hospital.

Police say the truck that hit Arceci pulled over and remained on scene with two occupants, but the driver identified as Santiago-Lopez ran away and fled to Mexico.

His next court date is Jan. 3.