Person of interest named in hit-and-run death

Sharon Hill police say they consider an Upper Darby man a "person of interest" in the hit-and-run accident that killed a Ridley Township teen.

Lemuel Payne, 26, is the registered owner of a black 2000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class that police seized yesterday, Police Chief Robert Tinsley said.

"He is a person of interest, and we would love to talk with him," Tinsley said. He added that it does not appear that anyone has been at the Upper Darby house in which Payne lives since yesterday.

On Sunday night, Faith Margaret Sinclair, 16, was struck and killed as she attempted to cross Chester Pike in Sharon Hill. Witnesses said the car hit Sinclair and left the scene. A grill and right-side mirror from a car were found at the accident scene.

On Tuesday, a $10,000 reward was offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver. Police appealed to a passenger who might have been in the car to come forward with information about the accident.

Tinsley said four calls pointed to a garage behind 312 S. State Rd. in Upper Darby, in a neighborhood of rowhouses with a back alley. Elaine Payne owns the home, public records show.

Yesterday, police served a search warrant on the garage and recovered a black Mercedes that they say they believe was involved in the hit-and-run accident. Today, they obtained another search warrant for the car and the contents, Tinsley said. Detectives with the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division began conducting forensic investigation of the vehicle.

Behind the home on South State Road were a playpen, a swingset, and a toddler bike with training wheels. All the garage windows were blacked out. One neighbor noticed that the windows of the garage had been blacked out earlier this week, spray-painted from the inside.

In July 2005, Payne was charged with driving under the influence in Philadelphia. He entered a first-time offenders' program, according to court records. Since 2001, Payne also had a series of traffic violations that included reckless driving, violation of certificate of inspection, disregarding traffic controls, and obstructed windows.

Sinclair, 16, an honors student at Ridley High School who hoped to become a special-education teacher, was walking with friends to a sleepover party about 10 p.m. Sunday when she stepped into the crosswalk on Chester Pike.

Contact staff writer Mari A. Schaefer at 610-892-9149 or mschaefer@phillynews.com.