Former Cambridge planner pleads guilty to 2 counts in Annapolis hit-and-run

ANNAPOLIS — On Wednesday, former City of Cambridge Planning and Zoning Director John Steven Kaii-Ziegler pleaded guilty to two counts stemming from a fatal hit-and-run that occurred in Annapolis in January 2023.

Kaii-Ziegler pleaded guilty to charges of leaving the scene of an accident involving death and causing injury as the result of operating a vehicle.

On Jan. 12, Kaii-Ziegler, 64, of Annapolis, was indicted in Anne Arundel County in connection to the hit-and-run that occurred on Hilltop Lane in Annapolis. He resigned from his position in Cambridge on Jan. 16. Two days later, Kaii-Ziegler turned himself in to the Annapolis Police Department.

The victim, 74-year-old Zarko Peruza, was struck and killed while riding his bicycle.

Police developed Kaii-Ziegler as a suspect with help from concerned citizens who reported a suspicious vehicle parked in their neighborhood the next morning, according to a January news release.

Kaii-Ziegler was charged with nine counts, seven of which were not prosecuted. They included negligent manslaughter, criminally negligent manslaughter, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired, reckless driving and negligent driving.

Judge Stacy McCormack sentenced Kaii-Ziegler to 208 days in prison, along with five years of supervised probation beginning Thursday. Kaii-Ziegler will be on house arrest for the first 18 months of his probation sentence.

Conditions of the probation order Kaii-Ziegler to have no contact with the victim’s family. He is also prohibited from driving while on house arrest, driving without a valid license during the length of the probation, and consuming alcohol or drugs.

Other conditions include substance abuse evaluations and mental health treatments as directed by a probation supervisor.

The probation order shows that Kaii-Ziegler will have to pay $2,045 in fines, $2,000 stemming from the count of causing injury as the result of operating a vehicle.