DENVER — Friends of a man who was killed in a hit-and-run don't want his case to go cold.
A driver hit Nick Cordova in mid-November in Denver's Highlands neighborhood. Police said the person responsible for hitting him left the scene.
On Tuesday, a celebration of life was held in Cordova's honor at the Mercury Café. People from all over the country attended, including Cordova's childhood best friends. They grew up in Ohio together.
"Everyone he interacted with he touched," his friend Khaled Tabbara said. "He had a family here. He loved it here. He had so many friends. He loved where he worked. I mean all of his buddies are out here. He created a community out here where I know he’s just so missed."
Denver Police said Cordova was killed as he was riding his moped just after midnight Nov. 18 in the area of Speer Boulevard and Grove Street, about a half mile from Blue Pan Pizza, the restaurant where he worked. Police are searching for the suspect who hit him.
Police said the other driver, someone in a white SUV, took off. Police said on Nov. 27 that they believe the vehicle is a white 2002-09 Chevy Trailblazer. It has front end damage and is missing the front bumper, police said.
The SUV driver was last seen heading southbound through the North Grove/Hooker Street Alley toward West 29th Avenue.
Employees from Blue Pan printed out flyers, trying to help find the person responsible.
"There just has to be some kind of accountability," Tabbara said. "I hate the idea that someone left him. That just breaks my heart."
Cordova left more than friends. His nearly 6-year-old pug Mabel was taken in by his coworkers at Blue Pan Pizza. The celebration of life was also a fundraiser for Mabel's vet bills.
Everyone in attendance was allowed to take a few of Cordova's ashes. The attendees were encouraged to spread them somewhere special, anywhere across the country.
"So many different cities are having little ceremonies for him because they miss him," Tabbara said. "It doesn’t just end for us here. We’re going to take this with us for the rest of our lives, so if there’s anything we can do to help it would be amazing."
Police asked anyone with info to reach out to Metro Denver Crime Stoppers.
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