Police arrest suspect in hit-and-run incident
More than 20 people called police with info
BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer
After extensive media coverage, Woodbridge Township police setting up roadblocks to hand out fliers about the incident, and a reward of $10,000 donated by an anonymous donor, police were able to arrest a 32- year-old township man in connection with the hit-and-run accident that left a 29-year-old Edison man with multiple injuries including broken arms and legs two weeks ago.

Police, who were working with few substantive leads, reached out to the public for information and received more than 20 information calls from the public. The anonymous donor also provided the informative fliers to police.

Detective Richard Hardish and other police officers arrested Jesus Merchan at his Clinton Street residence at 4:30 p.m. April 8 and charged him with a thirddegree offense of endangering the welfare of an injured person, police said.

"Additional criminal charges and motor vehicle violations are expected to be filed pending completion of the ongoing investigation," said Police Chief William Trenery.

Police impounded Merchan's red 1998 Ford Windstar minivan. Merchan's bail was set at $25,000 and he was transported to the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center, North Brunswick.

The hit-and-run incident occurred at 3:18 a.m. near the intersection of the Route 35 overpass on March 23, police said.

Witnesses told police that they observed a red minivan with its right front headlight out strike Caesar Arredondo, 29, causing him to land on the vehicle's roof rack. The impact caused his pants and sneakers to come off, police said.

Two males coming back home from a convenience store found Arredondo about an hour later at 4:20 a.m. at the intersection of Grove Street and Oak Avenue near the curb, which was approximately two miles away from where the victim was hit, police said.

Arredondo suffered multiple injuries including two broken legs and two broken arms as well as head and internal injuries. He was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he underwent several surgeries and has since been released, police said.

The investigation remains ongoing and will be submitted to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office for prosecution.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Woodbridge Police Department at (732) 634-7700.