Holz Motors helped MPD match debris from cop struck incident to suspect's car

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Police Officer Frank Vrtochnick was hit by a passing car on Christmas Day, and the driver fled. The only thing the driver left for investigators was debris. That's when police turned to a group of car experts to help solve the case.

When police came to Holz Motors in Hales Corners, they were searching for a dark sedan with damage. It's a vague description of the car that injured an MPD officer on Christmas Day. Holz Motors Rep. Chad Kallies says, "The officer that was pursuing the case stopped in with a mirror housing, section of a tail light and various other pieces from the vehicle."

Using a driver side rear view mirror, and fully constructed tail light, police knew they were looking for a '97 to '04 Chevy Malibu. "The mirror, oddly enough, fit two or three other vehicles, but what was the clincher is the fact that the section of the tail light only fit the Malibus."

That night police received a tip placing a Chevy Malibu with damage in a garage on Milwaukee's south side. The search warrant came in Wednesday morning, and FOX6 was the only TV station there when police pulled the car from the garage it was left in.

19-year-old Juan Alvarado is accused of hitting Milwaukee Police Officer Frank Vrtochnick, and he's being extradited from Illinois. According to the Milwaukee District Attorney's Office, Alvarado waived the right to an extradition hearing in Illinois. He fled the state after the Christmas Day accident that left the MPD officer in critical condition.