St. Paul Police announced two arrests Sunday in the hit-and-run death of Jose Hernandez Solano on the very day his fellow friends and cyclists gathered to remember him.

Hernandez Solano, 52, was bicycling home from his job at the Brasa eatery on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue shortly after midnight Nov. 26 when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver.

The driver ran a red light at West Seventh Street and Grand Avenue, and Hernandez Solano suffered “grave injuries,” police said. He died Dec. 7 after being taken off life support.

Dustin Joel Hegner-Royce, 28, of St. Paul was arrested at 4 p.m. Saturday in the 1100 block of Reaney Avenue on suspicion of criminal vehicular homicide, according to a tweet posted Sunday by the St. Paul Police Department.

Police arrested Hegner-Royce’s mother, Abbey Rose Hegner, 47, of South St. Paul, on Friday on suspicion of aiding an offender. She is the registered owner of the vehicle believed to have been used in the hit-and-run, police said.

Hernandez Solano’s family in the U.S. and Mexico was “absolutely overjoyed” to hear about the arrests, said Ash Reynolds, Brasa’s manager of communications. Related Articles Suspect sends Rochester police suicidal messages, flees, dies causing head-on collision

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The family is grateful to the people of St. Paul, the city’s police force and those who came to Sunday’s vigil, Reynolds said.

On Sunday, dozens of fellow cyclists honored Hernandez Solano appropriately: They rode as a pack from Brasa to the location near Grand and West Seventh where the crash occurred.

At that location is “ghost bike” — a donated bicycle, painted white and locked to a pole, marking the spot as a remembrance, and reminding cyclists and motorists alike about safety. A group called Ghost Bikes Mpls. has installed such monuments all over the metro.

Ride participants included David Fernandez, Hernandez Solano’s co-worker and bicycling partner, who spoke to the crowd of cyclists before the ride began.

“Thank you so much for coming, everybody,” said Fernandez, who seemed close to tears. “I lost my friend. It’s been so hard for me …. Thank you beautiful people. Thank you.”

The dozens who gathered on Sunday included St. Paul’s Christopher Hertel, an avid bicyclist who felt a duty to be there.

“We are a biking community and, we’re all connected in one way or another,” Hertel said. “I didn’t know (Hernandez Solano), but it turns out my daughter has a friend from high school who worked with him. He rode in all the places I have been. He was a father, like me.”

Hernandez Solano was a father of three. He was one of 13 children and is survived by his parents.

“He was a very generous, funny guy, always entertaining, kind of a jokester around here,” said Megan Gall, general manager at Brasa Rotisserie on Grand Avenue, where Hernandez Solano was a dishwasher. “He was very well-liked and an incredibly hard worker.”

Hernandez Solano was an avid bicyclist who took safety seriously, though he had also faced danger about three weeks before the crash that took his life. He was biking to work when a vehicle hit him and drove away; his arm was banged up and he had noted the driver was texting, according to Gall.

Police released few details about the arrests Sunday but said they are still gathering information. Related Articles Marchers shut down I-94 through St. Paul to protest Breonna Taylor decision

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Hernandez Solano’s body was flown to Mexico this week for burial. On Monday, upon the family’s request, his bike will follow, Reynolds said.

“Jose’s bike is returning to Mexico tomorrow,” she said. “They wanted us to send it so they could have it as a way to pay tribute to their father.”

A gofundme account has been set up to help Hernandez Solano’s family. As of Sunday night, it had topped $20,000 in contributions.

Mara H. Gottfried contributed to this article.