Suspect arrested in fatal hit-and-run of 5-year-old boy in Warren

A Detroit man has been arrested after a 5-year-old boy was struck and killed Tuesday on the Warren-Center Line border, police said.

The 22-year-old man was arrested in Sterling Heights a short time after the crash, which happened at about 9:45 p.m. Tuesday on Van Dyke at Stephens, Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer said Wednesday in a statement.

Dwyer said the boy was struck while crossing the roadway on his bicycle. 

Officers and medics were called to the scene. The boy was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries. 

Police said before the crash, the boy had been visiting an adult relative and other friends. He was on his way home a few houses away when he was hit by a vehicle.

According to witnesses, a black Jeep Trailhawk sped up to beat a red light and struck the boy. They also said the Jeep's driver did not stop and continued northbound on Van Dyke.

Police searched the area for the Jeep and began an investigation.

Dwyer said Warren and Sterling Heights police officers found the Jeep they believed was involved a short while later at a Taco Bell in the area of Metropolitan Parkway and Van Dyke in Sterling Heights. The officers found recent front-end damage to the vehicle that was consistent with a collision.

They searched for the driver and found him at a nearby gas station, the commissioner said. The man admitted to being involved in a crash and “hitting something.”

Officers arrested the man without incident, Dwyer said. They also impounded the Jeep and are working to obtain a warrant to search the vehicle for additional evidence.

He also said detectives plan to submit their findings to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office for review Thursday. 

cramirez@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @CharlesERamirez