Arrest Made in Fatal Enfield Hit-and-Run

ENFIELD, CT — Nearly seven months after a skateboarder was struck and killed by a vehicle on Route 5 in southern Enfield, a warrant was approved and executed on a suspect Friday morning.

Rocco Barile, 29, of 38 Lake Dr., Enfield, was taken into custody at his home without incident, Police Chief Carl Sferrazza said. He was charged with misconduct with a motor vehicle, evading responsibility resulting in death, tampering with physical evidence, failure to renew registration and failure to drive in proper lane.

Bond was set at $175,000. Barile is scheduled to be arraigned Monday, July 3 in Enfield Superior Court.

The charges were filed in connection with the death of Jeremy Mercier, 20, who was riding his skateboard on Enfield Street near Orlando Drive, not far from his Parsons Road home, when he was struck by a northbound vehicle around 1 a.m. on Dec. 2, 2016. The vehicle left the scene without stopping, police said.

An extensive investigation followed, involving the Enfield Police Department traffic and detective divisions and crime labs from the FBI and Connecticut State Police. A judge signed the warrant Thursday, Sferrazza said.

"His family still suffers from this awful tragedy, but with this arrest, hopefully they will find some measure of closure," Sferrazza said.

Photo courtesy of Enfield Police Department