Here's how Hanover cops nabbed suspect 2 years after hit-and-run death of 4-year-old girl

Kaitlin Greenockle | The Evening Sun

Show Caption Hide Caption Police arrest man in connection to fatal hit-and-run of Dakota Wright Police Arrest Man in Connection to Fatal Hit-and-run of Dakota Wright

Nearly two years after 4-year-old Dakota Wright was struck and killed by a vehicle in a hit-and-run in Hanover, police arrested and charged Tony Brent Shower Jr. in her death.

An affidavit filed Thursday and other court documents and police records filed since the crash show how police landed on Shower as the suspect.

Shower Jr., 34, of the 100 block of West Jackson Street, York, was arraigned in front of District Judge Dwayne Dubs on Thursday, Nov. 15. He was charged with accidents involving death or personal injury, two counts of driving under the influence of a controlled substance and driving on a suspended license, according to court documents.

Shortly after 7 p.m. on Nov. 22, 2016, a van struck Dakota in the 200 block of Princess Street as she crossed the street, according to the initial police report. The investigation revealed that she was dragged under the van for a short distance before it drove away.

Dakota was taken to Hanover Hospital where she was pronounced dead as a result of severe head trauma.

A witness told police the van was white "with some kind of writing on the side." It had a ladder rack on the roof with a ladder attached. The witness also said the driver was a male with dark colored facial hair, according to an affidavit filed with Dubs.

More: Timeline in the fatal hit-and-run death of 4-year-old Dakota Wright

Police stop the van

At about 7:30 that night, Penn Township Police Officer John Carbaugh pulled over a van that matched that description.

Shower was a passenger in the van and fit the description of the man who had been driving the van at the time of the crash that killed Dakota, the affidavit states.

Watch: Police release image of suspected van in hit-and-run of 4-year-old Hanover Police released a photo of a van that is believed to be used in Nov. 22 hit-and-run that killed 4-year-old Dakota Wright.

At that time, though, Carbaugh had insufficient knowledge and evidence to hold Shower and the driver, identified only as SG in the Nov. 15 affidavit.

According to a search warrant filed by Hanover Borough Police Officer Craig Culp on Nov. 23, 2016, however, that van was registered to Stephen John Gambal III. Gambal, described as a white male with facial hair, was driving the van, and his passenger was identified as Shower, a white male with a beard.

On Nov. 23, 2016, West Manheim Township Police pulled that same van over again. Gambal was driving, and this time they found what appeared to be cocaine inside.

Police charged him for DUI, and impounded the van.

Shower was not in the van at the time of Gambal's arrest.

Police said they found several strands of hair in the front grill and headlight area that seemed to match Dakota's hair. The van had damage around the front driver side headlight, the same area where Dakota would have been struck.

Support local journalism

Help support the journalists who bring you important news and information by subscribing for full access. Click here for a current special offer for new subscribers.

The van remains in the custody of Hanover Borough Police.

Hanover police interviewed Shower multiple times. He told them that on the day of Dakota's death, he and Gambal were using the van all day to go back and forth to Baltimore, where they bought drugs, the affidavit states.

Shower also said he used heroin and crack cocaine throughout that day. He denied any knowledge of the crash, but also said he thought the van struck an animal.

"During a separate interview, Shower now stated that he heard a thud and that he asked SG what caused it, at which point SG supposedly told him they had just struck a child," police said in the affidavit.

Prison recordings reveal Gambal's account

While Gambal was in York County prison on the DUI charge, he made phone calls to family members. Such calls are recorded and police said they reveal his version of what happened the day Dakota died.

He stated in those phone calls that he was not driving, or even in the van at the time of the crash. He said only Shower was, according to the affidavit.

Gambal said that he and Shower were driving around all day and using drugs, but Shower did most of the driving, the affidavit states.

Another tragic Thanksgiving: Hanover couple still seeking driver who killed their daughter

He said Shower dropped him off at a local restaurant and took the van to get more drugs.

When Shower returned, he allegedly made Gambal drive the van.

On Oct. 26, police re-interviewed a witness who had been standing in the area at the time of the crash, and he was able to identify Shower as the driver of the van through a photo lineup, the affidavit states.

Shower was taken to York County prison in lieu of $100,000 bail and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Dec. 21, according to online court documents.

Hanover Borough Police declined to comment on Shower's arrest and the investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back often for updates.