A Union County jury has returned a guilty verdict on the sole charge filed against a man who fatally struck a 12-year old child in Union and fled the scene in July of 2019, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel and Union Police Director Daniel Zieser jointly announced today.
According to county officials, Jose Marrero, 39, of Kearny, was found guilty Friday of knowingly leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.
Just before 8 p.m. on July 17, 2019, Union Police Department patrol units responded to a report of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle in the area of Forest Drive and Galloping Hill Road, according to Assistant Prosecutors Scott Peterson and James Brady, who prosecuted the case.
According to officials, there, they found an unresponsive 12-year old child, Jeremy Maraj of Union, who was rushed to University Hospital in Newark.
He succumbed to his injuries two days later.
At trial, the State revealed that, at the time of the accident, Marrero was driving his work vehicle, a 2016 Nissan NV200 Cargo Van, when he struck Maraj on the shoulder of Galloping Hill Road.
According to county officials, witnesses to the accident testified that Marrero didn’t stop and fled the scene.
Officials stated that video surveillance obtained from the area and parts from the van recovered at the scene ultimately led Detectives to Marrero, Peterson and Brady said.
Sentencing has been scheduled for Friday, June 10, at which time Marrero can face a sentence of up to ten years in state prison.