Jack Sabàto, the son of soap opera star Antonio Sabàto Jr. and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, has been arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run in Alaska, where police say he had been delivering food.
Sabàto, 32, was allegedly driving a white Chevrolet Tahoe when he struck and killed Carl Simmonds near an intersection in Anchorage at about 5:35 a.m. Monday, according to charging documents obtained by KTUU.
Authorities say he left the scene but later called police, reporting that he had hit “something” that had “suddenly appeared in the road” while he was “doing late-night DoorDashing,” the documents state.
Sabàto, who appeared in court wearing glasses and with extensive tattoos, faces charges of leaving the scene of an accident without assisting an injured person and leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in injury or death.
He is the son of Antonio Sabàto Jr., a model and former “General Hospital” actor, and Virginia Madsen, who earned an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress for her performance in the 2004 film “Sideways.”
Madsen’s brother was the late Michael Madsen, the actor known for his roles in Quentin Tarantino films including “Reservoir Dogs,” “The Hateful Eight” and “Kill Bill.”
“We all just found out the terrible news and our family is digesting this horrible news and asking for privacy in this devastating news. Thank you,” Sabàto Jr. told TMZ.
Officials found a body in the roadway roughly 15 minutes after the crash. Simmonds was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators obtained surveillance footage of the collision and traced the vehicle’s registration to Sabàto’s home. A neighbor told police that Sabàto was at work.
Police later located the Tahoe at Sabàto’s workplace at approximately 12:45 p.m. The vehicle had “fresh damage to the right front corner that was consistent with a pedestrian strike,” according to the charging document. Authorities obtained a warrant and seized the SUV.
About two hours later, Sabàto called police and said he had struck an animal with the vehicle and wanted to speak with officers, according to the documents.
He told investigators he had been driving home after “doing late-night DoorDashing” when “something” suddenly appeared in the road. He also said his headlights had gone out.
Sabàto said he knew he had hit “something” but did not stop to investigate because he did not have insurance. He told police he decided to call because he “knew the worst.”
Sabàto was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident without assisting an injured person and leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in injury or death.
He was arraigned Tuesday afternoon at the Anchorage Jail Courtroom, where a judge set bail at $5,000, according to KTUU.
The judge also ordered Sabàto not to drive and warned that he could face an additional $5,000 penalty if he fails to appear at future court hearings.
