Arrest made in hit-and-run accident

Police in Delaware arrested a man Friday who left the scene of a fatal hit-and-run accident that killed IU senior Ashley Crouse early Tuesday morning.\nOriginally identified as Alberto DeJesus, Delaware officials determined his real name to be Meliton Espinosa Praxedis, 22, who police confirmed is an illegal alien from Mexico. Praxedis fled Bloomington Tuesday evening on a Greyhound bus en route to Manor Park, Del.\nA warrant was issued Thursday in the name of Alberto DeJesus, one of Praxedis' aliases, for leaving the scene of the accident at the intersection of Third and Hawthorne Streets.\nCpl. Trinidad Navarro of the New Castle Police Department in Delaware said Praxedis is currently in custody. U.S. Marshall Supervisory Deputy Jason Wojdylo, whose organization "worked around the clock" to crack the case, said specific details of Praxedis' apprehension could not be discussed because of the ongoing investigation.\n"We worked through the night and are operating on no sleep, but we continue to push on," Wojdylo said. \nPolice apprehended Praxedis at approximately 6:30 a.m. Friday in a Delaware apartment complex after matching a photo of Praxedis with an IUPD sketch. Wojdylo said Praxedis had visible facial lacerations at the time of his arrest.\n"We were happy to assist (IUPD) in tracking Praxedis down," Wojdylo said. "IUPD had all of the pieces to the puzzle and it was just a matter of sitting down and putting those pieces together."\nAccording to the probable cause affidavit, Praxedis' roommates told police he had consumed "a lot of beer" prior to Monday night's accident. IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger could not confirm that information but said it will be "very hard to prove" Praxedis had been drinking because he was not available for a Breathalyzer at the time of the accident.\nAccording to police reports, Praxedis, who was driving his friend's gray Honda station wagon, struck a red Jeep carrying Crouse, her boyfriend junior Christopher Carlson and senior Julie Greenbaum. At the time of the accident, the stoplight directing westbound traffic on Third Street was flashing yellow while northbound and southbound traffic on Hawthorne Avenue had a flashing red light. Praxedis' station wagon was traveling west on Third Street while the Jeep carrying Crouse, Carlson and Greenbaum was crossing the intersection and heading south on Hawthorne Street. Crouse was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. Praxedis fled the scene on foot immediately after the crash, according to police reports.\nIUPD Lt. Steve Fiscus said the driver at fault could not be determined until the accident reconstruction team completed their investigation.\n"We believe speed was a huge factor," Fiscus said. "But it will be over a week before we can make an exact determination as to how this accident happened."\nThe citizenship status of Praxedis' three roommates was questionable when they were brought to the police station, Lt. Minger said. Immigration and Naturalization Service advised IUPD to release them.\nPraxedis is currently awaiting to be expedited from Delaware to Bloomington. Minger said although Praxedis is currently facing a charge of leaving the scene of an accident, a Class C felony punishable by three to eight years in prison, it is possible that he could face additional charges as more information arises in the case.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.