MICHEAL BOULDEN

Woman arrested in hit-run death of ASU executive

Sarah Muench

The Arizona Republic

Mar. 2, 2007 03:55 PM

Police arrested late Thursday the driver they believe hit and killed Micheal Boulden, Arizona State University Foundation's chief of staff, police said.Yesenia Angulo-Gastelum, 26, was booked Thursday night into Maricopa County Jail on suspicion of hit and run after someone called in a tip following media reports, Phoenix police said.Boulden, 37, was riding a red mountain bicycle east on the shoulder of Pinnacle Peak Road in Phoenix at 6:23 a.m. Feb. 18 when a vehicle struck him from behind.The impact killed Boulden, who left behind a 3-year-old daughter. He had returned from visiting her in Germany just the day before the incident, according to Phoenix police and university officials. Police say Angulo-Gastelum left the scene and failed to provide identification or call for assistance, police said."She was brought in for questioning and made admissions, fully aware she struck someone," said Sgt. Joel Tranter, a Phoenix police spokesman. "She said she was afraid of getting caught for striking him."Angulo-Gastelum said didn't know Boulden and hitting him was not intentional, Tranter said.Tranter said Angulo-Gastelum and her boyfriend, who was riding in her 1999 Chevy Malibu at the time of the collision, "made a conscious effort" to conceal the car, replace the windshield and make repairs to the body of the car. The two drove the car for a week after a week's worth of repairs, Tranter said.Detectives discovered red paint from Boulden's bicycle on the car, Tranter said.Angulo-Gastelum didn't provide information on how the accident happened but Tranter said they were both traveling eastbound. It was dark, but Boulden had lights on his bike.Her boyfriend has not yet been arrested and police have submitted charges to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.Tranter said thanks to one tip, police were able to solve the case."We asked for the public's assistance on this case and it's that one phone call from the public that gives us that one little tidbit of information that our investigators can follow up on and crack the case," he said.Boulden had been at the ASU Foundation, the university's fund-raising organization, for two years. He played a major role in the organization having its most successful year ever in 2006, university officials said."Micheal was a young and vital man with a good heart, and we will miss him terribly," said ASU Foundation President Johnnie Ray. "All of us here at the foundation - Micheal's colleagues and friends - are privileged and honored to have known this lovely young man who left us all too soon."ASU employees and Boulden's family plan to celebrate his life at a barbecue with jazz music, just as he would have wanted it, officials said.The celebration is scheduled for Monday at 11 a.m. at the ASU Fulton Center 300 E. University Drive, near College Street and University Drive.