The driver who killed Nick Minaj’s father, Robert Maraj in a hit-and-run a few days ago, has been arrested by the Police.
According to reports, the Police arrested a 70-year-old Long Island man on Wednesday for the fatal hit-and-run crash that killed Nicki Minaj’s father.
The suspect was said to have hidden his car under a tarp.
Charles Polevich was arrested early Wednesday and charged with leaving the scene of an accident and tampering with evidence for the Feb. 12 death of Robert Maraj.
Nick Maraj’s father, 64, was “walking in the roadway” on Roslyn Road in Mineola when Polevich allegedly plowed into him near Raff Ave. about 6:15 p.m. Feb. 12 and fled the scene, Nassau County Police said.
Nassau County police said Maraj lives in the area and was either walking home or to a local store. He was walking in the street because sidewalks were covered in snow, investigators believe. Maraj was hospitalized and died later that day.
Polevich was driving north on Roslyn when he struck Maraj, who was walking in the same direction, according to prosecutors.
Surveillance footage recovered from the scene shows Polevich getting out of his car, looking at Maraj and then jumping back in and driving off.
“He was absolutely aware of what happened,” Nassau County Detective Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick said at a press conference Wednesday. “He got out of the car and looked at the deceased. He made the conscious decision to leave.”
When he got home, Polevich secreted his car in his garage and covered the vehicle with a tarp.
“He did things to alter us from being able to discover the car,” Fitzpatrick said.
Cops however were able to piece together security footage that showed the path of Polevich’s 1992 Volvo.
“We were able to track that vehicle prior to accident as well as after the accident and tracked it right to his house,” Fitzpatrick said.
Polevich was ordered held on $250,000 bond during a brief arraignment in Nassau County Criminal Court Wednesday. He is due back in court Friday.
Maraj’s superstar daughter, who was born Onika Maraj, is known for hip hop hits such as “Super Bass” and “Starships.” She has not publicly commented on his death but has spoken out about her fraught relationship with her father over the years.