Older Brother Struck In North Bergen Hit-And-Run Dies; Arrest Made
NORTH BERGEN, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Authorities have made an arrest in a hit-and-run accident that claimed the life of a New Jersey man and injured his younger brother.
After a lengthy search, the Hudson County Sheriff's Office announced Friday the arrest of Rogelio Chavix-Tacen, the suspected driver in the Nov. 14 crash that killed Michael Viruet, 20, and injured his 11-year-old brother, Adrian.
"We got him," Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari said. "You can run, but you can't hide."
The brothers had just seen a movie and were walking toward a pedestrian bridge when an SUV jumped a curb in North Bergen, struck the pair and took off.
Investigators were able to use parts of the vehicle to track down the suspect.
"Investigators had gone to the body shops in the area with parts of the vehicle that were left over and it was found that the vehicle had been hidden at 72nd Street in North Bergen," Hudson County Sheriff's Office spokesman Michael Makarski told 1010 WINS. "From there we were able to find the owner of the vehicle, as well as Mr. Tacen's roommate who he had been living with that allowed us to garner some more information."
Chavix-Tacen was arrested Thursday in Maryland.
"The investigation did take a little time, but it led us to family members in the Annapolis area," Makarski said. "The U.S. Marshals had told us when he was arrested he was actually hiding under the bed in a back bedroom somewhere."
Michael Viruet, whose leg had to be amputated as a result of the crash, died Thursday.
Chavix-Tacen initially faced charges of aggravated vehicular assault and leaving the scene of an accident. Those charges were upgraded in the wake of Viruet's death.
Tacen is now charged with death by auto, leaving the scene of a fatal accident, aggravated vehicular assault, and leaving the scene of an accident with critical injuries.
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