Jack Sabàto Arrested in Fatal Anchorage Hit-and-Run

Police say a pedestrian was struck near Airport Heights Drive and DeBarr Road in Anchorage at about 5:35 a.m. on November 9. The victim, identified as 42-year-old Carl Simmonds, died at the scene. He was the ninth person struck and killed by a vehicle in Anchorage this year, charging documents state.

Investigators relied on footage supplied by Alaska’s Blood Bank showing the crash to identify a white Chevrolet Tahoe, then traced its registration to Sabàto’s home. Officers found the vehicle at his workplace around 12:45 p.m. with recent damage to its front right side, which they said matched a pedestrian impact. Police seized it after obtaining a warrant.

Charging documents say Sabàto later contacted police and said he had hit an animal. He told officers he was driving home after delivering food when something emerged onto the roadway and his headlights stopped working. He allegedly said he knew he had hit something but did not stop because he feared he lacked insurance.

Sabàto was arrested and held at the Anchorage Correctional Complex on charges of failing to help an injured person after a crash and leaving a collision scene where someone was injured or killed. He appeared in court for arraignment on November 10. His father, actor Antonio Sabàto Jr., said the family had just learned the news and asked for privacy; he added that he had not yet spoken with his son.