ENFIELD – The Enfield man accused in a deadly hit and run on December 2 made his first court appearance Tuesday morning.
Rocco Barile, 29, is out on bond and was accompanied by his parents to Enfield Superior Court. He’s facing several charges including evading responsibility of an accident that resulted in death and tampering with evidence.
On Tuesday, his case was transferred to Hartford Superior Court and a hearing date was set for August 7. Outside of the courthouse, Barile and his attorney told FOX61 they had no comment.
Barile’s 25-page warrant reveals he became a suspect just about two weeks after the crash, but a lengthy investigation followed leading to his arrest on June 30.
Around 1 a.m. on December 2, a passerby found 20-year-old Jeremy Mercier’s body on Route 5 in Enfield. Police said Mercier was on his skateboard at the time of the crash bringing gas to a friend who had ran out. There were no eye witnesses to the crash.
According to the arrest warrant, investigators found vehicle parts on scene, along with a red gas can and a skateboard broken into several pieces.
Investigators were able to link those vehicle parts to a gray or silver Chevy Silverado truck within a certain year range. They proceeded to contact around 100 owners matching that description, until they reached Rocco Barile and asked him to show them his truck.
The warrant states that Barile immediately lowered his head, paused for a few seconds without speaking, then handed the officer his lawyer’s business card out of his wallet.
Investigators later obtained a search warrant for Barile’s garage and found a truck matching the description with much of its front end missing, including parts that would have been damaged in a crash such as the one on December 2.
During their investigation, Enfield Police combed through cell phone records and surveillance video from several locations, they interviewed Barile’s friends and family, used GPS tracking, and completed forensic testing with help from FBI and State Police labs.
Those reports found paint from a truck matching Barile’s on Mercier’s skateboard, and a black “tacky” material on the undercarriage of Barile’s truck that was also found on top of Mercier’s skateboard.
Mercier's family and friends told FOX61 Barile's arrest was a huge relief and what they had been waiting for since the crash.