LAWRENCE — Police said a Saugus man was behind the wheel of a boat that collided with another boat on the Merrimack River on July 12, leaving a 29-year-old Methuen man dead.
Police have an arrest warrant for Ernis Cruz, 24, of Saugus charging him with the death of Iraq war veteran and father of four Juan Carlos Guzman. Police said Cruz is "at large."
At the time of the crash, Guzman was standing on the stern of a 22-foot boat pulling in a tube attached to the boat with a rope. A witness said a boat, with Cruz at the helm, headed straight at the boat Guzman was on and then hit a large wake and went airborne.
As Cruz's boat flew over, witnesses said it struck Guzman, knocking him unconscious and into the water. Guzman's body was found after a three-day search of the river, aided by Quincy police using an underwater camera.
Police Chief John Romero said Cruz will be charged with manslaughter, homicide by vessel, leaving the scene of an accident causing bodily injury or death, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident.
He said police have been unable to find Cruz.
Witnesses told police the collision capped an afternoon of reckless boating by the driver of the yellow boat that collided with the boat Guzman was on.
The witnesses told investigators the yellow boat was weaving in and out of boat traffic at high speed producing large wakes.
The owner of the boat Guzman was on told police he had spoken to the driver of the other boat twice before the crash, telling him to slow down and keep his distance.
Witnesses told police that after the crash, the two occupants of the boat returned to the boat ramp, where they abandoned the boat and fled the area in a silver Land Rover.
Romero said the investigation was a joint effort between Lawrence detectives and state police detectives assigned to District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett's office.
