Updated 5 p.m. March 21 with details of the suspect's arrest and a statement from the victim's family.

Police arrested an Oklahoma man in connection with a hit-and-run that killed a woman as she ran across a street in Uptown early Saturday.

John Adrian Esparza (Marshall County Sheriff's Department)

John Adrian Esparza, 38, has been charged with a second-degree felony in the death of 23-year-old Rachel Spelman.

Dallas police received a tip Monday that Esparza, who lives in Madill, Okla., might be involved in the deadly hit-and-run crash, said Lt. Robert Arredondo with the Dallas Police Department.

KDFW-TV (Channel 4) reports that the tip came from Esparza's own family, though police would not confirm that Tuesday.

Rachel Spelman

Detectives found a vehicle that matched the one witnesses described at his address. The vehicle had "obvious damage consistent with striking a pedestrian," Arredondo said.

Esparza was taken into custody and admitted his involvement in the hit-and-run, according to Arredondo. He is being held in the Marshall County Jail, but will be extradited to Dallas.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by KDFW-TV, Esparza gave a videotaped confession and admitted that he had been drinking at Concrete Cowboy in Uptown before he hit Spelman.

He said she walked out in front of his car and he was unable to avoid hitting her. He said he then fled the scene because he was scared.

The affidavit also says that two people Esparza was staying with in an Uptown hotel said he never returned to the hotel the night Spelman was killed. He later told them he had been in an accident.

After seeing reports of the fatal hit-and-run in the news, one of those people called police and said they believed Esparza might be involved and that he might have fled to Oklahoma.

Esparza's girlfriend was also brought in for questioning, police said.

Esparza has previously faced charges of driving while intoxicated, possession of marijuana and evading arrest.

Spelman was hit by a southbound vehicle about 2:10 a.m. Saturday in the 2200 block of Cedar Springs Road, near North Pearl Street, Dallas police spokeswoman Tramese Jones said.

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After the car hit Spelman, its driver got out and looked at her before getting back in the car and driving off.

Spelman died at the scene, officials said.

On Tuesday her father, Tom, released a written statement:

"On behalf of my wife and daughter, I would like to thank the Dallas Police Department, government officials and concerned citizens everywhere for all of their efforts in bringing closure to this case so quickly. I understand there was great community support. As we grieve for our beloved Rachel, I would like to also thank those witnesses that responded immediately in an effort to assist and comfort her before the first responders arrived. To you we are forever grateful. I also ask that there is improved safety for the pedestrians in the Uptown area. As you know the demographics of the area are mostly young, bright, and ambitious people with a lot to contribute to the world. Finally, Thank you for your prayers and support and please find it in your hearts to pray for those that have been apprehended and are responsible for this tragedy."

Staff writer Tom Steele contributed to this report.