Antonio Sabato Jr. and Virginia Madsen’s 32-year-old son, Jack Sabato, has been arrested following a fatal hit-and-run in Anchorage, Alaska. Police say investigators were able to trace the vehicle involved in the deadly incident back to him.
Sabato was taken into custody on Nov. 9 following the death of 42-year-old Carl Simmonds. Anchorage police officers and emergency medical personnel responded to reports of an unresponsive man near Airport Heights Drive and Debarr Road at approximately 5:48 a.m., where Simmonds was pronounced dead. According to police, preliminary findings suggest he was struck by a vehicle whose driver fled the scene.
Sabato is facing a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident without rendering assistance to an injured person, as well as a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident involving injury or death.
The charging documents obtained by Fox News reveal that investigators discovered vehicle debris near Simmonds’ body and secured surveillance footage from a nearby bank showing a white Chevrolet Tahoe hitting him. The footage allegedly captured the SUV continuing without slowing down before or after the collision.
Authorities entered the vehicle’s description into the Alaska Public Safety Information Network and eventually tracked down a matching Tahoe registered to Sabato at an Amazon warehouse in Anchorage. Police impounded the SUV, which investigators said had fresh damage consistent with striking a pedestrian.
Sabato later reached out to police and reportedly told investigators that he had been making DoorDash deliveries before the incident. According to the charging documents, he admitted to hitting “something” but claimed he thought it was an animal.
He allegedly explained that he didn’t stop because he was driving without insurance and intended to report the incident after finishing work.
However, after his girlfriend informed him that police had confiscated his SUV, Sabato contacted authorities again and reportedly said he “knew the worst.”
Madsen is an Oscar-nominated actress recognized for her roles in films such as Sideways and Candyman. Meanwhile, Antonio Sabato Jr. gained early recognition after appearing alongside Djimon Hounsou in Janet Jackson’s iconic 1990 music video for “Love Will Never Do (Without You).”
Directed by legendary photographer Herb Ritts, the black-and-white video became one of the standout visuals of Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 era, introducing Sabato Jr. to a much wider audience before he went on to pursue an acting career.
Jack appeared in court for his arraignment on Nov. 10, where bail was set at $5,000 and the judge ordered him not to drive. An additional $5,000 penalty was imposed should he fail to attend future court proceedings. He remained in custody as of the morning of Nov. 11.
