Heart-stopping moment as car hits mother and baby, drives away in Venice, CA
Video shows a stolen vehicle slamming into a woman and her infant in Venice, California.
GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING: A Los Angeles judge reached no decision Thursday after a teen who admitted to mowing down a mother and her 8-month-old in a stolen car asked for an early release from a five- to seven-month sentence in juvenile probation camp.
In the past few months, he's also been involved in at least 14 fights, according to authorities, and has writeups for allegations of misconduct, disobedience, destructive language and defiance of authority, although some probation reports praised his behavior.
"The reports from his time in probation show that he is not rehabilitated, and he shouldn’t be released early," Shea Sanna, the deputy district attorney who argued against early release, told Fox News Digital Thursday.
The suspect, who is not being identified because of his age, appeared in court with his mother.
Surveillance video recorded the entire Aug. 6, 2021, hit-and-run incident in Venice, California. (Los Angeles)
After a delay over whether the victim and members of the media could observe the proceedings, things got underway. The defense introduced a motion for early release. However, Sanna raised issue with many of its claims, and the judge ultimately chose to continue the proceedings to Sept. 28 – when the people who wrote the probation report will be asked to testify under oath.
Rachel said she had not been given an opportunity to speak Thursday.
The driver was recorded on surveillance video veering into Rachel and her infant, bowling them over and then trying to flee before a good Samaritan in a pickup truck rammed him off the road.
Photos taken at the scene show the driver as a thin, White male wearing clothes that appeared too big and a "Scooby Doo" neck tattoo. His eyes were barely open as he spoke with police outside the stolen car. He was out on probation at the time for poisoning a high school girl.
After striking Rachel and her 8-month-old, the wrong-way driver collided with a pickup truck. (Los Angeles County)
While the 8-month-old victim miraculously escaped serious injury, photos showed a tire-tread-shaped bruise on the back of his scalp.
Rachel has told Fox News Digital she suffered severe cuts on her arms, hands and shoulder and slipped three discs in her back as a result of the hit, which sent her rolling over the hood of the car.
The teen pleaded guilty to three felony charges, two for assault and one for attempting to flee. Current and former prosecutors have said the suspect could have faced additional charges and stiffer penalties given the evidence.
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon frowns during a news briefing. (KCBS-TV)
However, Gascon claimed his office had charged the teen with "the most serious offenses possible under the law."
Rachel has described the hit-and-run as an attempted murder, far more serious than Gascon’s office makes it out to be.
Days after his office retracted a claim that the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, which had no connection to the case and was not the investigating agency, "agreed" to the charges, Gascon called reporting on his handling of the case "misinformation."
He said it was "important that the public knows the facts" and stated, "a minor, driving under the influence, struck a woman and her child with a car in Venice."
Despite his narrative, he did not charge the minor with driving under the influence.
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The diversionary program, for youthful defenders, has been described by prosecutors as stricter than summer camp but less severe than military school.
Gascon’s office did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday or Thursday.
For Rachel's part – she said she's had enough.
She's selling her house and leaving Los Angeles. The closing date is already set.
"I cannot get out of here fast enough," she said.
