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Annapolis resident John Kaii-Ziegler, 64, surrendered to police months after he was identified as a suspect in connection to the death of 73-year-old Zarko Paruza in January 2023.
Shortly after 10 p.m. on Jan. 24, 2023 to the unit block of Hilltop Lane, where Paruza had been riding his bike when he was struck and killed by a driver who sped away from the area after hitting him.
Witnesses helped investigators from the Anne Arundel County Police Department by identifying a suspicious vehicle that was parked in their neighborhood the next morning, pointing detectives in the direction of Kaii-Ziegler.
On Friday, Jan. 12, Kaii-Ziegler was indicted by a jury in Anne Arundel County on charges that include:
- Negligent manslaughter;
- Criminally negligent manslaughter;
- Two counts of leaving the scene of an accident involving a death;
- Driving Under the Influence of alcohol;
- DWI;
- Reckless driving;
- Negligent driving;
- Causing the injury of an individual as the result of operation a vehicle.
On Thursday, Jan. 18, Kaii-Ziegler turned himself in at the Annapolis Police Department before he was taken to the Anne Arundel County Detention Center for an initial court appearance.
He's being held without bond at the Jennifer Road Detention Center.
"This is another example of the Annapolis Police Department’s commitment to working hard to ensure the family of the victim receives closure," Annapolis Police Chief Ed Jackson said. "We are committed as a department to hold reckless and dangerous drivers accountable for their actions.
"We are asking all motorists coming to Annapolis to drive to survive," he added. "We want other drivers and pedestrians and cyclists to be safe as they travel the streets of our fair city.”
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