Authorities: Man sought in fatal hit-and-run had been drinking, was here illegally

The Sheboygan Press


By Eric Litke
Sheboygan Press staff August 18, 2007
A 27-year-old Fredonia man on the run from charges in a fatal hit-and-run crash in Sheboygan County had been drinking for several hours prior to the Tuesday crash and is in the country illegally, according to a criminal complaint released Friday.

Eddie Carbajal-Lile, whose last known address is 220 Martin Lane, Apt. 2, is charged with hit and run resulting in death, a felony charge that carries penalties of up to 15 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Authorities say he ran a stop sign in the Town of Lima and hit a car with three teenagers inside, injuring two and killing Paul B. Watry, 17, of Port Washington.

Capt. Dave Adams of the Sheboygan County Sheriff's Department said investigators believe Carbajal-Lile — an illegal immigrant — may attempt to flee the country. A warrant for his arrest was issued with the criminal complaint Thursday night.

Carbajal-Lile is alleged to have been the driver of a Nissan Sentra that ran a stop sign about 8:40 p.m. Tuesday while eastbound on county Highway V at state Highway 32. He struck a 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier driven by Scot Mueller, 18, of Port Washington, Adams said.

Mueller and passenger Jillian Fitzmaurice, 18, of Oostburg, were hospitalized after the crash but have since been released. Watry was declared dead at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa, with the cause of death listed as closed head trauma, the complaint said.

According to the complaint:

Witnesses said Carbajal-Lile walked away from the crash after retrieving his cell phone, and the complaint said he called a friend twice saying he had hit something and didn't feel good. Adams has said blood was found in Carbajal-Lile's car.

That friend told police that he had been drinking with Carbajal-Lile and several other friends from 5:30 p.m. to sometime after 8 p.m. that night at Kim's Five Corners Tavern & Eatery, N3701 Highway I, a little more than two miles from the crash site.

He said Carbajal-Lile had a total of five or six beers.

Detectives tracked down the friend through a credit card receipt after an anonymous caller reported five Hispanic males had been drinking at Kim's tavern around the time of the crash.

Adams said Carbajal-Lile — whose aliases include Eddie Carbajal, Eddie Lile, Eddie Carbajal-Farvies, Negro Carbajal, Negro Carbajal-Lile and Negro Lile — now may be living in the Sheboygan area, though an anonymous tipster told investigators he may be trying to flee to Mexico.

The complaint said Carbajal-Lile moved out of the Fredonia home, which belongs to his brother, two or three weeks ago due to a dispute between the two. He was an employee of Van Wyks Inc. in Waldo but did not show up for work Wednesday.

Anyone with information on Carbajal-Lile's whereabouts is asked to contact local law enforcement or the Sheboygan County Sheriff's Department at (920) 459-3112 or the toll-free CrimeStoppers line at (877) 283-8436.

Case reminiscent of fatal hit-and-run from 2003

The developing situation has numerous parallels to a fatal hit-and-run crash from 2003, in which the suspect is still at large and believed to be living in Mexico.

Juan B. Arenas, now 30, struck 12-year-old Benjamin J. Salm, of 1829 Elm Ave., as he and another boy crossed South Business Drive near Union Avenue about 5 p.m. Jan. 6. The boy died of his injuries the following day.

Three friends and family members posted a $20,000 cash bond for Arenas on Jan. 28 — the day after Judge Timothy Van Akkeren lowered it from $50,000 — and he did not show up for his next court appearance a month later.

Reach Eric Litke at elitke@sheboygan-press.com and (920) 453-5119.