Slain Baby's Family: Driver Must Pay

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Slain Baby’s Family: Driver Must Pay

by Melissa Bailey | Sep 10, 2010 1:10 pm

(14) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Legal Writes, Newhallville

As a grandmother called for no mercy on the man charged in a hit-and-run that left her grandson dead, the defendant claimed innocence before a judge.

The remarks took place midday Friday in Connecticut Superior Court on Elm Street, where Christian Hicks, 28, was arraigned in a year-old hit-and-run case that killed 17-month-old Montez Stanley, Jr.

Hicks, of Bridgeport, was arrested Thursday in Waterbury in connection with the crash. He is accused of driving a Mercedes Benz through a Mansfield Street stop sign and crashing into an SUV traveling west on Division Street on June 6, 2009, killing the baby, and injuring the baby’s mom, who was 17 at the time.

Click here to read his arrest warrant.

The baby’s mother, Mauricia Stanley, was paralyzed by the crash. She has recovered enough to hobble into court using a walker Friday, when Hicks was arraigned Friday Judge Roland Fasano.

“He tormented us,” said Montez’s grandmother, Tywanna Harrington, said of Hicks. “He took a lot from us.” She said he should “pay” for what he has done.

On Friday, Harrington and other family members got a first chance to come face to face with the suspect—and heard a claim of innocence.

While Hicks did not enter a formal plea, his lawyer told the judge his client didn’t do the crime. The judge kept Hicks’ bond at $250,000 and set a new court date for Sept. 24.

Stanley (pictured) wore a black shirt bearing the words “RIP Tanky” and a photo of her baby playing with some toys. She held her head in her hand as Hicks stood before the judge with his lawyer, Corey Brinson, of Hartford.

State prosecutor David Strollo urged the judge to keep Hicks’ bond at $250,000. He said there is no evidence that Hicks ever tried to call police after the crash. Witnesses told police the offender got out of his car, checked his own car for damage, then kept on driving.

Strollo said that Hicks was supposed to meet his brother on the night of the crash, but never did. Instead, he cut off his dreadlocks and fled to Florida, Strollo charged. He claimed Hicks had been drinking the night of the crash. Phone records show Hicks never made any attempt to report the accident to police, Strollo charged.

“He just fled and left those people for dead,” Strollo (pictured) said.

Hicks was arrested on a warrant Thursday and charged with felony evasion of responsibility, a charge that carries up to 10 years in prison. Strollo said Friday he aims to add another charge: Tampering with evidence. Hicks allegedly put a “bra” on the front end of his car to conceal damage to the car, Strollo said. The car was recovered in Florida.

Strollo said cops had several pieces of evidence pinning the crime on Hicks: A paint chip from his Mercedes Benz matched paint found at the scene; the car matched witnesses’ descriptions; and front-end damage to Hicks’ car matched the damage to the victims’ SUV. The SUV had four people in it. It was driven by Mauricia’s mom, Francine Stanley.

Hicks (pictured), who was dressed in long jean shorts and a white V-neck T-shirt, stood quietly before the judge, his ankles and wrists shackled.

His lawyer, Brinson, told the judge his client is innocent and intends to head to trial. Brinson highlighted weaknesses in the state’s case.

“There are no witnesses that put Mr. Hicks at the scene of the accident,” Brinson said. He said witnesses gave varying descriptions of the driver, including that he was Hispanic or light-skinned. Hicks is a dark-skinned African-American. Brinson added that cops limited their pool to Mercedes Benz CLKs from Connecticut.

“At best, the state can place a Mercedes Benz CLK at the scene of the accident, but they cannot place Mr. Hicks at the scene of the accident,” Brinson said. He added that the baby was not in a car seat at the time of the accident.

“He tells me that he wasn’t there, so, I believe him,” Brinson said after court.

Hicks has a 5-year-old daughter, and feels “horrible” for the baby’s family, Brinson said. But he said the state got the wrong guy.

“Connecticut has a history of getting it wrong. My job is to make sure we get it right.”

“Why Didn’t You Stop”?

A day earlier, New Haven police told reporters how they tracked down the suspect.

The year-long hunt ended when detectives caught a break with a blue paint chip.

The chip, colored “metallic capri blue,” placed Hicks’ Mercedes Benz at the scene.

“That was the connection,” said Sgt. Alphonso Vazquez.

Vazquez spoke to reporters outside 1 Union Ave. Thursday afternoon, where police brought Hicks into custody.

Hicks was arrested Thursday afternoon by U.S. marshals in Waterbury.

After marshals took the man to 1 Union Ave., they brought him out of the building for a “perp walk” before the press around 2:45 p.m. Thursday. He wore handcuffs and a white T-shirt and jeans.

“Why didn’t you stop and help?” one reporter asked. The man did not reply.

Click on the play arrow to watch.

The arrest capped a year-long quest that led detectives to Florida in search of a fleeing driver and missing vehicle. Officer Lloyd Barrett and Detective Bertram Etienne led the investigation, supervised by Vazquez.

Vazquez said a paint chip was the final piece that helped cops crack the case.

Paint left at the scene was one of few clues left behind after the driver sped away from the scene. According to police, the driver got out of the car after the crash, appeared to inspect the front of his own car, then got back in the car and drove away.

Within a week after the crash, the suspect cut off his long dreadlocks, Vazquez said. That made him hard to track down. He eventually fled to Florida, he said.

Unlike in other hit-and-runs, witnesses came forward with a description of the offending vehicle, a Mercedes Benz. Barrett and and Etienne started a systematic search of all cars of that description registered in Connecticut, Vazquez said. They contacted the owner of each car.

The search led them to one Mercedes Benz that had ended up in Florida. The pair went to Florida twice. They recovered the car, and zeroed in on its owner as a suspect in the crime.

Before making any arrests, they had to link the car to the scene of the crime. That’s where the paint chip came in. They sent the paint chip to the state forensics lab to see if it matched one that was recovered at the scene. The chips came back as a match.

“That was the physical connection,” Vazquez said.

It wasn’t enough to prove the whole case, he said, but was a final piece of the puzzle.

“It was a help,” said Barrett Thursday. Combined with other evidence, cops drew up an arrest warrant for the suspect.

The United States Marshal Service “conducted a vigorous search” for the suspect over the past week, said city spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga. At 1:50 p.m., they arrested him in Waterbury without resistance.

Vazquez credited Barrett and Etienne with their diligence.

“It was a big team effort,” Barrett later said.

Hicks was arrested on a warrant that carried a $250,000 court-set bond. Marshals walked him out of a car, into police headquarters Thursday afternoon in front of reporters.

“C’mon man, now is your chance. Anything you have to say for yourself?” a TV reporter asked.

Hicks remained silent. If convicted, he faces between one and 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Comments

posted by: William Kurtz on September 9, 2010 4:36pm

Between one and ten years. There’s quite a difference between those two, and even the high end is not that much. Hard to believe that this [self-censored] can blast through a stop sign, kill a baby, and then, after reportedly examining the damage to his own car, callously drive away only to be tracked down and arrested through the diligent efforts of the NHPD—and then possibly be out of prison before the child would have started sixth grade.

I hope Officer Barrett and Detective Etienne are commended for their heroic work in this investigation.

posted by: Gretchen Pritchard on September 9, 2010 5:05pm

“If convicted, he faces between one and 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.”

That’s ALL? For driving away from a fatal crash?

posted by: Brian V on September 9, 2010 7:06pm

Great Police Work. Nice job NHPD!

posted by: first observer on September 9, 2010 8:55pm

This is excellent news indeed. Congratulations to Officers Vazquez, Barrett, and Etienne for outstanding work. Can anyone at the NHI report on the investigation into the killing of Gabrielle Lee—where witness accounts also provided a description of the car involved? Searching out every car registered in Connecticut that fit the descriptions—that seemed like such an obvious thing to try to do at that time, just as it proved to be the approach that was successful to solving the crime in this case.

posted by: secret chimp on September 9, 2010 10:28pm

I did a few things with Al and I always thought he was a good dude. I would bet money that he would make a much better chief than destefano’s heartthrob. ... Vasquez is there because he has talent and for no other reason, at least from what little bit i was fortunate enough to observe. just my opinion.

posted by: Pedro Soto on September 9, 2010 10:42pm

10 years, seriously?? For leaving te scene of an accident where he killed an infant? I hope that they manage to get this guy on more charges than this, so that he’ll spend a good long time in jail. Nt to sound rough here, but guys who kill kids don’t end up having the best time in prison.
I agree with William Kurtz, WELL DONE detectives on getting this guy.

posted by: streever on September 10, 2010 7:22am

Such a sad story. I’m glad that the NHPD caught this guy.

I don’t know what to think about the possible sentence. The fact that he drove away is pretty bad.

posted by: kamb on September 10, 2010 7:51pm

this guy leaves the scene goes to another state with his car to hid it now he says he wasnt in the car that night!?!?! What a joke. This kid should be locked up forever! Man up clown!

Good job detectives and fatal team.

posted by: Morris Cove Mom on September 10, 2010 9:33pm

If this man is found guilty, he will not be in jail long enough to erase the pain of the baby’s death.

But, have his grandmother and mother been charged in his death yet? He was not in a carseat of any kind.
...

posted by: K on September 10, 2010 10:09pm

Glad he was caught….hope they have the right guy. Yes he was wrong but he is only half to blame for the babies death.Don’t you think maybe a car seat would have saved his life. Family is also responsible for baby. He won’t take responsibility but neither will they. All parties should admit fault.They should be preaching to people the importance of car seats just like people who have lost loved ones from not wearing a seat belt.I had a friend die in accident and seat belt could have saved his life.The positive that came out of tragedy is his family speaks to groups about the importance of a seat belt and admit their child could have lived had he worn it.This family only blames the suspect and doesn’t take any responsibility for his death.Dont say the loss was punishment enough because kids have driven drunk with brothers in car and brother dies and drivers go to jail.The cops/judge don’t say killing your brother was punishment enough. Same difference.Why no car seat,please someone tell me. They put that child at risk before accident.

posted by: Ree on September 10, 2010 11:47pm

K, you have a valid point. This child should have been in a car seat. That doesn’t absolve the driver of responsibility for blowing the stop sign at a high rate of speed or leaving the scene of the accident, but a car seat could have saved this child’s life in the end. I feel that this man, if guilty, should be convicted to the full extent of the law, but the family also needs to acknowledge their fatal mistake as well. A child shouldn’t go in a car without a car seat (or booster) for any reason, no matter how short the drive.

posted by: robn on September 11, 2010 7:57am

Why isn’t this guy being charged with involuntary manslaughter? He got out of his car to check his paint job and showed complete, cold, calculated indifference to his victims.

That being said there’s no excuse for the family not using a car seat for the baby and they’re not going to have a lot of traction with a civil suit.

posted by: Post S. This on September 11, 2010 8:54am

you need to interface with facebook and allow your articles, selective political comments you allow to show, and your opinionated p.o.v’s ; .good at times: grow your network. good luck and hope to see progress.

posted by: Bill Saunders on September 12, 2010 1:37am

Robn,

It seems he is being charged with something equal to vehicular homicide in the second degree. First degree carries up to 20 years.

Hit and run should triple the penalty, imo.
Should be a ton of extra things that could be charged as well, depending on the strength of the paint chip.

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