Nearly 29 years after Leslie Ruby was killed in a 1997 hit-and-run outside his Des Moines home, police say a rerun of an America's Most Wanted episode prompted a tip that led to an arrest. Investigators had recovered the vehicle and identified Gerardo Garcia-Michel as the suspected driver in 1997, but he fled the state and remained at large. Authorities announced Garcia-Michel's arrest on Sept. 29 — the anniversary of Ruby's death — but released few details about where or when he was taken into custody.
Rerun of America's Most Wanted Leads to Arrest in 1997 Des Moines Hit-and-Run
Car; Mugshot for Gerardo Garcia-MichelCredit: Des Moines Police/Facebook; Ocean County Jail
Nearly 29 years after a hit-and-run killed 64-year-old Leslie Ruby outside his Des Moines home, authorities say a rerun of an America's Most Wanted episode generated a tip that led to the arrest of the suspected driver.
Leslie RubyCredit: Des Moines Police/Facebook
On Sept. 29, 1997, Ruby was struck and killed on the east side of Des Moines, the Des Moines Police Department reported. The department's Traffic Unit recovered the vehicle believed to have been involved and located evidence that identified a suspected driver: Gerardo Garcia-Michel, who was 28 at the time.
Leslie RubyCredit: Des Moines Police/Facebook
Before officers could take him into custody in 1997, police say Garcia-Michel fled the state. Investigators followed leads at the time but ultimately exhausted available avenues to locate him, and the case grew cold.
Leslie RubyCredit: Des Moines Police/Facebook
The case was first profiled on America's Most Wanted in 1998. According to the Des Moines Police Department, a rerun of that episode nearly 29 years later prompted a new tip that revived the long-dormant investigation and led detectives to Garcia-Michel "halfway across the country." Officials announced that he was taken into custody on Sept. 29 — the 29th anniversary of Ruby's death.
Vehicle that fatally struck Leslie Ruby in Des Moines on Sept. 29, 1997Credit: Des Moines Police/Facebook
"After nearly 29 years on the run, a vehicular homicide suspect is in custody," the department wrote in a Facebook post.
Police have not released additional details about where or when Garcia-Michel was arrested, whether charges beyond a description of "vehicular homicide" have been filed, or whether he has entered a plea or retained counsel. The Des Moines Police Department shared images and updates on social media but left several specifics undisclosed.
What We Know
Confirmed: Leslie Ruby was killed in the 1997 hit-and-run; the vehicle was recovered and evidence identified Garcia-Michel as the suspected driver; Garcia-Michel fled and remained at large until the recent tip. Unconfirmed/Publicly Unreleased: exact arrest location, booking details, formal charges and court dates.
The arrest closes a nearly three-decade search for the person suspected of striking and killing Ruby outside his home, and highlights the continued value of media exposure and public tips in resolving cold cases.
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