The Green Bay Police Department has arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of a fatal hit-and-run that took place on I-43 just south of East Mason Street.
The suspect has been identified as Juan M. Zuniga.
At approximately 11:40 a.m. on Wednesday, December 7, the Green Bay Police Department responded to a call of a single vehicle rollover accident about a 100 yards off the road in heavy grass in the north bound lane of HWY 43, and just south of East Mason St.
When police arrived they found one male body inside a the vehicle.
Police have identified the victim as Michael R. DeGrave.
The vehicle, which was a blue Kia, had damage to its rear bumper and trunk area, which included a red paint transfer which was believed to have come from a different vehicle.
Officers discovered a series of letters and numbers etched into the bumper from the contact of the unknown red vehicle, later determined to be an Audi sedan.
Police say the numbers were run thru DOT and a local name of Juan Zuniga, with a Green Bay address, was discovered.
A debris field was discovered across the median and laying along the outside shoulder of the southbound lane of HWY 43.
Police also located was a Wisconsin License plate that had the same number as the numbers etched into the blue Kia.
The investigation also revealed that both the Green Bay Police Department and the Brown County Sheriff’s Department had previously responded to calls in the same general area of HWY 43 at approximately 5:30 a.m. that involved the red Audi.
At that time the red Audi was abandoned near CTH JJ and had front end damage.
A wrecker was called and it was towed and impounded.
Officers say they were not able to locate any other vehicle at the time.
As a Green Bay Officer responded to the area at 11:40 am, he discovered a different vehicle pulled over to the shoulder of the road and a male party walking away from this vehicle.
The man had apparently run out of gas and was walking towards East Mason Street.
Officers questioned the subject, but had not yet located the victim’s vehicle.
This subject, identified as Juan Zuniga, was released as officers had not yet developed a reasonable suspicion to detain him.
Police say Zuniga was transported off of the highway to a ride he had already arranged.
After Zuniga had been released, Officers discovered the victim’s vehicle and the relationship between the vehicles and people involved.
Green Bay officers say they immediately began looking for Zuniga. He was taken into custody at approximately 9:30 p.m. in the village of Bellevue.
