MILWAUKEE — An early morning phone call Tuesday morning left Linda Lampe at a loss for words.
"I hung up the phone and I just broke down," said Lampe.
It was news that she waited eight long months to hear. The driver who Milwaukee police say killed her daughter during a hit and run back in October was behind bars.
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"They found him finally," said Lampe. "I didn't think it was going to happen. I was in contact every month."
According to a criminal complaint, 44-year-old Calvin Gardner was arrested Saturday. During the investigation, police say they obtained video surveillance from the night of the incident. The footage showed a car, which Garnder later admitted was his, pulling over near Appleton and Silver Spring where 40-year-old Nicole Bohringer had been hit. Police say Gardner was later seen pulling into a nearby hotel, examining his car, and then walking away.
"How can you run somebody over and then leave?"
Gardner however denied any involvement in the hit-and-run. In the complaint, Gardner said his car had been stolen when he found it sitting alongside the road. He claimed he had no idea it had hit Nicole, and didn't know who was driving it at the time.
"This guy needs to pay for what he did. He took a life, "said Lampe.
The family says the bail amount set for Gardner isn't nearly enough.
"They've only got $5,000 bail on this guy and he killed somebody," said Lampe. "He could get $5,000 and boom he's out on the road again."
Now as her family continues to heal, they're looking forward to taking the next steps toward getting justice for Nicole.
"Her older son has good days and bad days," said Lampe. Her three-year-old, she doesn't understand. She says her mom's lost, she can't find her. She's missing her mommy."
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