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A California youth convicted last year for mowing down a mother and her eight-month-old baby in a horrific hit-and-run has asked for parole, despite being sentenced to just seven months in a juvenile probation camp.
As the 16-year-old driver is due to appear before a court in LA on Thursday at 9 a.m. to make his plea, the young mother expressed outrage that District Attorney George Gascon had not notified her of the hearing.
“I remain incredibly disappointed with the justice system in LA, but I am not surprised to hear that I am once again being denied my rights as a victim to participate and use my voice in the judicial process,” the mother, identified only as Rachel, told Fox News Digital“F—George Gascon.”
Rachel said she expected the boy’s next hearing to be on November 8, towards the end of his sentence, a little over six months in prison, which she thought was too short to begin with.
The incident made headlines in June after Gascon’s office — long known for its light on criminals in the name of progressive reform — demanded a softball sentence while prosecuting the 16-year-old, who was intoxicated while driving the stolen vehicle.
A California boy convicted last year of mowing down a mother and her eight-month-old baby in a horrific hit and miss asks for parole after being sentenced to just seven months in a juvenile probation camp
As the 16-year-old driver is due to appear before a Los Angeles court at 9 a.m. Thursday to make his plea, the young mother expressed outrage that LA County District Attorney George Gascon had failed to notify her of the incident. the hearing.
Poignant footage from the August 6, 2021 incident showed Rachel pushing her son Charlie in a pram through the Venice neighborhood as the car approached her.
She tried to get out of the way in the narrow alley, but the car swerved towards her and crashed into her and the pram, throwing her over the top of the car and crashing into the baby.
As shocked onlookers rushed to help, the driver drove away — only stopping when a pickup truck blocked the road.
During his sentencing in June, it was decided that the teen – known only as KB – would serve his sentence in a “juvenile probation camp” rather than juvenile detention.
Rachel, in her victim statement, spoke of the devastating impact of the teen’s actions — who had drugs in his system at the time, but was not intoxicated.
‘I thought those were the last moments of our lives; we were dead,” she wrote.
“That feeling, along with the memory of a car coming right at us, will haunt me forever.”
She described in vivid detail the horrific moment when he rushed towards her and her baby.
“As the car approached me and my child, I stopped walking and propped the pram and myself against a building on the right side of the road to make sure we gave the reckless driver plenty of room to pass,” Rachel said.
“As the car got dangerously close to us, KB turned the wheels in our direction and accelerated as he wanted to kill us.”
“I was also told that his file would be deleted when he turns 18,” she continued.
‘How on earth is that possible? He tried to kill two innocent pedestrians. Murder. And we have video evidence. My child would be dead if I hadn’t been there to protect him.’
The incident made headlines in June after Gascon’s office – long known for its light on criminals in the name of progressive reform – demanded a softball sentence while prosecuting the 16-year-old, who was intoxicated while driving the stolen vehicle.
Gascon’s office told Fox news the youth camp phrase was ‘a suitable solution’.
“The Sheriff’s Department agreed with the charges being filed.
During his arraignment, the minor admitted to two offenses of assault with violence likely to result in grievous bodily harm, and one offense of hit and run.
‘The probation service advised, and the court sentenced the minor to a youth camp of five to seven months, an appropriate solution.’
They said the juvenile justice system was intended to “rehabilitate young people.”
“In this case, this teen will be held accountable for his actions and will receive the necessary services to promote positive development to avoid committing future offenses,” the office added.
“I remain incredibly disappointed with the justice system in LA, but I am not surprised to hear that I am once again being denied my rights as a victim to participate and use my voice in the judicial process,” the mother, identified only as Rachel, told Fox News Digital, ‘F—George Gascon’
Poignant footage from the August 6, 2021 incident showed Rachel pushing her son Charlie in a pram through the Venice neighborhood as the car pulled toward her
Still, Rachel remained furious.
“I have never been more surprised or disappointed, and in fact I have never felt more victimized than by the system and current policies of LA’s DA, George Gascon,” Rachel wrote.
“My heart breaks when I think of all the other victims out there, less fortunate than me, whose killers are given lenient sentences and released from prison before their sentences are complete.”
She added: “George Gascon does not value my life or the life of my child, or any other victim out there, and would rather reward the monsters like KB by showing them that their actions have no consequences.
“DA Gascon tells him and all the other LA County felons it doesn’t matter if you try to kill people.
“Why does Gascon’s policy prioritize the livelihood of rotten monsters when my child, my baby, incapable of protecting itself, is left to fend for itself, and essentially told its life doesn’t matter?”
Gascon, 68, was elected in November 2020 but has proved highly unpopular for his progressive policies that critics say are soft on crime.
In August, the recall petition fell just short of the 567,000 it took to put the motion to a vote, while still collecting about 520,000 names.