West Bend man charged after allegedly dragging teen with car in Fond du Lac County

FOND DU LAC COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A 19-year-old West Bend man has been criminally charged in connection with a series of crashes that happened in Fond du Lac County.

Jatziel Manuel Pabon Encarnacion has been charged with one count of hit-and-run causing great bodily harm. 

According to a criminal complaint, several people were at an underage drinking party in the early morning hours on New Year's Eve in the village of Auburn. 

Several vehicles left at the same time. 

Five people, including four teens, were in a car that went off a rural road and flipped. Four people were thrown from the car.

Taya Grimes, 19, of Hartford was one of two people laying in the road.

She was hit by another car that was coming from the party. Grimes was then dragged for miles.

Investigators say Encarnacion was driving the vehicle that struck Grimes and dragged her. 

According to the criminal complaint, Encarnacion went to the West Bend Police Department hours after the crash to speak to officers about the crash. Encarnacion allegedly admitted to being at an underage drinking party near Kewaskum. He also, according to the complaint, admitted to drinking at the party and when he left, he went straight home and didn't stop on the way. 

Authorities went to Encarnacion's address in West Bend, where he then allegedly admitted he traveled through the crash site and "struck an object in the road" at the scene. Encarnacion allegedly described striking the object as like "going over a speed bump quickly." 

The Fond du Lac Sheriff and the District Attorney held a news briefing Friday, Jan. 5, where they said they didn't know if Grimes died as a result of the first crash or from being dragged. 

In court on Thursday, Jan. 18, bond was set for Encarnacion at $250,000.