Police arrested a Bronx man at his home Wednesday for the December hit-and-run death of a beloved philanthropist cyclist on Manhattan’s Riverside Drive.
Lesnier Ortega Varona, 38, was taken into custody by NYPD officers at his Bronx residence in connection with the Dec. 7 crash that killed Geoffrey Radbill, 78, an Upper West Side resident who was biking through Washington Heights, police and sources said. Varona, who has no previous arrests, was charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian and released with a desk appearance ticket, police said.
The crash occurred around 9:30 a.m. As Radbill pedaled north on Riverside Drive near West 158th Street. Varona, driving a silver 2021 Toyota sedan, struck Radbill from behind, cops said. The senior suffered serious injuries and was transported to Harlem Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, police said.
Varona remained at the scene after the deadly crash and was not immediately charged, cops said. Investigators later determined there was criminality on his part and sought to arrest him, sources said.
Radbill was widely celebrated for his generosity to Bowling Green State University, his alma mater. He was a member of the class of 1968 who formerly served on the Board of Trustees and the Foundation Board of Directors, and the campus’ Geoffrey H. Radbill Center for College and Life Design was named in his honor.
“Because of Geoff’s support and belief in the power of a Bowling Green experience, thousands of students have gained life-changing opportunities through Life Design,” university President Rodney K. Rogers posted on X in December. “His legacy will forever shape our University and the lives of future Falcons.”
Rogers also spoke personally about his relationship with the slain donor. “On a personal level, Geoff was a friend, and I will miss his counsel, advice and ideas – he was always up for a call to dream big,” he said.
The university president continued his tribute, adding that “Geoff embodied the very spirit of his alma mater: He was hard-working, with a distinctive grit and an ability to see possibility that knew no limits. He was humble, kind and supportive. And he loved Bowling Green.”
Beyond his university philanthropy, Radbill was a successful financier who retired in 2004 as senior vice president and chief operating officer of retail distribution at AXA-Equitable, after holding various managerial positions with the company for 36 years, according to a Bowling Green bio. He also participated in fundraising and client service consulting for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the bio said.
The arrest comes more than seven months after the fatal collision on the scenic Manhattan roadway, leaving questions about the timeline of the investigation and why charges were delayed. Varona’s desk appearance ticket means he will be required to appear in court at a later date rather than being held in custody.