Woman arrested in deadly Mayport hit-and-run that killed Atlantic Beach woman last year

A 33-year-old Jacksonville woman has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run that killed an Atlantic Beach woman near Naval Station Mayport more than a year ago, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Crystal Hobson was arrested Nov. 3 on a warrant charging her with leaving the scene of a crash involving death, a first-degree felony, according to her arrest report. Her bond was set at $75,003.

READ: Mother of Atlantic Beach woman killed in Mayport hit-and-run calls for an arrest

Rebecca McCarley was hit Oct. 5, 2025, on Wonderwood Drive near A1A. She was taken to Memorial Hospital with life-threatening injuries and died early Oct. 7.

Action News Jax spoke with McCarley’s mother, Sheena McCarley, after the crash. She pleaded for an arrest, saying, “they knew they hurt her, they knew they hit her, and left again.”

According to a warrant affidavit, McCarley’s boyfriend told investigators he was standing in the bike lane with her, loading items onto bicycles, when a Chevrolet Malibu veered into the lane and hit her.

The affidavit says the car continued east, made a U-turn and came back to the scene.

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The boyfriend told police he recognized the driver as a woman from his neighborhood but couldn’t recall her name. He later told an officer the driver was Hobson, the affidavit says.

Investigators said the Malibu was registered to Hobson’s father, who told detectives he had loaned it to her. Hobson told the detective by phone where the car was, and officers found it backed into a parking spot at an apartment complex on Mayport Road, the affidavit says.

Detectives said the car had a broken passenger-side headlight, a dent in the hood and a broken windshield, which they described as consistent with striking a pedestrian or bicyclist.

Police served a search warrant on the car Oct. 16, 2025. On Oct. 23, 2025, the detective met with Hobson and her attorney and collected two DNA swabs, the affidavit says.

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Parts of the affidavit were redacted in the copy released to the media.

Officers arrested Hobson Nov. 3, 2026, at an Intown Suites on Beach Boulevard. The arrest report says she was read her rights and did not resist.

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