The Newtown Police Department Detective Bureau this week arrested and charged the man they found responsible for the death of a 26-year-old Danbury resident following a recent crash.

Roger Villa, 23, was arrested on May 15 and charged with Manslaughter in the Second Degree with a Motor Vehicle, Operation of a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol, Evasion of Responsibility in Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Reckless Driving, Operation of a Motor Vehicle with a Suspended License, and Failure to Drive in Proper Lane.

The first charge is a Class C felony, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.

According to Newtown Police, the arrest was the result of an investigation that began following a fatal motor vehicle crash on Saturday, May 6, shortly after 2 am.

Local police were dispatched on a report of erratic operation of a blue 2009 Chevrolet Silverado traveling northbound on South Main Street/Route 25. Shortly thereafter, officers located this vehicle after it struck a tree just north of the intersection of South Main Street and Greenbriar Lane.

Newtown Police officers immediately worked to gain access to the truck and provide aid to the passenger, Franklin Marcelo Loja Paltin, 26, of Danbury. Botsford Fire Department and Newtown Hook and Ladder responded to the scene to extricate Loja, who was transported to Danbury Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Stony Hill Ambulance, Nuvance Ambulance, and a Danbury Paramedic all responded to the scene as well and assisted with medical aid and transport.

Police officers reportedly located Villa walking northbound on South Main Street, away from the crash scene. He denied operating the vehicle at that time and was transported to Danbury Hospital for his injuries.

According to the report, the Newtown Police Department Detective Bureau, with the assistance of Newtown Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team, “conducted a diligent and exhaustive investigation into this accident culminating in the above charges.”

South Main Street around the crash site was subsequently closed for hours while detectives began their investigation.

Villa was held in lieu of a $250,000 bail. He appeared in court on May 16 and did not enter a plea. He remains in custody.

His next appearance is scheduled for June 12.