Family Photo (KTLA-TV)
Related links
INGLEWOOD -- A 40-year-old South Los Angeles man was charged Thursday with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter and a felony count of leaving the scene of an accident for allegedly running down a 14-year-old boy in Inglewood.
Andre Thompson was scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in Inglewood Superior Court. He turned himself in and was arrested Tuesday in connection with the death of Semaj Spencer, who was struck and killed about 1 a.m. Sunday while crossing Imperial Highway east of Crenshaw Boulevard.
Thompson is charged with misdemeanor counts of vehicular manslaughter and driving with a suspended or revoked license. He is also charged with a felony count of leaving the scene of an accident. The criminal complaint also alleges that Thompson has two prior drug convictions.
Witnesses said the boy was knocked out of his shoes and dragged some 50 feet by the vehicle.
That driver then sped away.
Spencer was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
Earlier, Spencer's family made an impassioned plea for the driver to turn himself in.
"Would you please, please, please turn yourself in if you have a conscience," the victim's mother, Penny Hoover, said. "If you have children, would you please, I beg of you to please come forward."
"He was a 14-year-old kid trying to grow up," said Jerry Hoover, the boy's father. "He'll never have that opportunity. You took it away. You took it away."
Thompson faces a maximum sentence of seven years in prison on the felony charge. The misdemeanor charges have a possible maximum sentence of one and a half years in jail, prosecutors said.
Andre Thompson was scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in Inglewood Superior Court. He turned himself in and was arrested Tuesday in connection with the death of Semaj Spencer, who was struck and killed about 1 a.m. Sunday while crossing Imperial Highway east of Crenshaw Boulevard.
Thompson is charged with misdemeanor counts of vehicular manslaughter and driving with a suspended or revoked license. He is also charged with a felony count of leaving the scene of an accident. The criminal complaint also alleges that Thompson has two prior drug convictions.
Witnesses said the boy was knocked out of his shoes and dragged some 50 feet by the vehicle.
That driver then sped away.
Spencer was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
Earlier, Spencer's family made an impassioned plea for the driver to turn himself in.
"Would you please, please, please turn yourself in if you have a conscience," the victim's mother, Penny Hoover, said. "If you have children, would you please, I beg of you to please come forward."
"He was a 14-year-old kid trying to grow up," said Jerry Hoover, the boy's father. "He'll never have that opportunity. You took it away. You took it away."
Thompson faces a maximum sentence of seven years in prison on the felony charge. The misdemeanor charges have a possible maximum sentence of one and a half years in jail, prosecutors said.
