Belleville man’s devotion to children remembered as hit-and-run remains unsolved
Aaron “Tonio” Lawary is being remembered for always attending his 12-year-old daughter’s basketball games at Central Junior High in Belleville and his fondness for dancing.
While sharing their memories, Lawary’s family is raising awareness about the unusual circumstances of his death in an unsolved hit-and-run.
Lawary, 45, was found dead Feb. 12 in a creek along South Illinois Street under the Illinois 15 bridge.
Belleville police said preliminary autopsy results show Lawary “sustained injuries consistent with being struck by a motor vehicle” while he was walking along South Illinois Street.
“This case is being investigated as a hit-and-run incident resulting in death,” Master Sgt. Clayton Green said in a statement.
Lawary’s daughter, Amayra Lawary, said her father had finished building a room in the basement of the family’s home on East A Street at about midnight Feb. 11, then walked to MoJac’s sports bar near their home.
Amayra Lawary said her father, who was deaf from birth, was last seen in MoJac’s, 1100 E. B St., at about 1 a.m. on Feb. 12.
A pedestrian saw his body that afternoon, and police responded at 4:12 p.m. — more than 15 hours after “Tonio” Lawary was last seen.
Amayra Lawary said her father’s phone and wallet were recovered.
Belleville detectives are seeking the public’s assistance and want to speak with anyone who may have information regarding the following:
- Vehicles traveling on South Illinois Street or Illinois 15 between the hours of 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12.
- Pedestrians seen walking in the area of South Illinois Street near the Illinois overpass during the early morning hours of Feb. 12.
- Any vehicles that may have recently sustained damage consistent with striking a pedestrian.
“Investigators have conducted numerous interviews, obtained surveillance footage from multiple locations and are pursuing all available leads,” Green said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Belleville Police Department at 618-234-1212. Callers can remain anonymous.
“We are hoping that sharing his story publicly may help someone in the community who may have seen something or knows something come forward with information,” Amayra Lawary said in an email to the Belleville News-Democrat. “Even the smallest detail could make a difference in helping bring answers and justice for our family.”
Family memories
Amayra Lawary, 19, said her father’s survivors include his 23-year-old son Devan; 12-year-old daughter Mia; and 1-year-old daughter Ariyah. His girlfriend, Shanaye Johnson of St. Louis, is expecting a child in about three months.
The funeral was Feb. 28 at Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in East St. Louis.
Lawary liked to build things and fix cars, his daughter said.
“My dad was funny,” Amayra Lawary said. “He would dance all the time.”
She especially remembers taking trips to White Cottage to get ice cream in an old truck her father had fixed. She praised him for going to all of Mia’s basketball games and also serving as a youth basketball coach at Douglas Elementary School.
Her father most recently was doing car repairs and previously had worked in the environmental services department at Memorial Hospital for 17 years.
As she reminisced about her father, Amayra Lawary had this message: “Love your loved ones.”
