Garland hit and run suspect has lengthy criminal history

The suspect in a hit and run who killed a stranded driver has a lengthy criminal history, according to the victim’s family.

The family and their attorney say Rhonda Anderson should have been off the streets not steering an SUV on the evening of Feb. 20 in Garland. The victim, Clifton Earl Curtis, 22, was a young father with twins on the way.

Police said Anderson, 52, was driving a white 2016 Jeep SUV when she hit Curtis and fled the scene on foot. She was later detained and told the officers she hadn’t been drinking, but had taken prescription pills. In her vehicle, officers found two glass pipes usually used for smoking crack cocaine.

Anderson has been arrested multiple times going back to 1998 and has five outstanding theft charges and an active warrant issued 12 days before the fatal accident for failure to appear in court. She also has a DWI from Feb. 2015 in Mesquite.

“Inside of me I forgive her because I have God in my heart and I have to forgive. My thing is part of me wants to be angry, but I know for a sure that God doesn’t make a mistake, you know,” said mother Dorothy Johnson.