One year after a beloved 2-year-old girl was killed by a hit-and-run driver, her family continues to hope for justice as the person behind the wheel has yet to be captured.
Asianae Thomas, 2, was fatally struck while running across Mountain View Avenue in San Bernardino on May 4, 2014. She died two days later.
"She was a very smart little girl, "she loved everybody," said Asianae's father Anton, who keeps the ashes of his 2-year-old daughter on a mantel in his home.
He said it's a constant reminder of a long and painful year since she was killed.
"Everyday we've been hoping for justice and praying to God that this man would come forward, knowing he hit this child and has some remorse," Anton Thomas said on Wednesday. "But it hasn't happened."
Witnesses to the hit-and-run described the vehicle as a black work truck with an unusual rear end.
Days after the girl was struck, San Bernardino police spotted the suspected truck on surveillance video from a nearby convenience store.
Police eventually found the truck abandoned, and interviewed the man who owns it.
"Some of the statements that the driver of the vehicle and the girlfriend passenger in that vehicle don't match exactly," San Bernardino Police Lt. Richard Lawhead said."
Lawhead said the owner of the truck denied being the driver and claimed the truck couldn't be the right one because it had mechanical problems.
"We later discovered that wasn't the case," Lawhead said.
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Although forensic testing did not show any signs of Asianae's DNA, investigators remain confident they found the right truck and the right driver.
But one year later, they still have not made any arrests. Investigators are hoping someone will come forward who can positively identify the driver.
Anton Thomas is hoping the driver will just turn himself in.
"You ran away from the scene of an accident that killed a 2-year-old child," he said. "And her parents want justice for it."
The family is planning to hold a vigil for the girl on Thursday.
