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Hit-And-Run Suspect Charged With Manslaughter In Death Of 12-Year-Old
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jul 4, 2014
Modified Jul 4, 2014
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Jul 4, 2014
Modified Jul 4, 2014
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The hit-and-run suspect accused of fatally striking a 12-year-old girl and injuring two other people has been charged with manslaughter. Robert DeCarlo, 26, allegedly jumped the curb with his minivan in Brooklyn on Wednesday, fatally striking 12-year-old Joey Sellers, and critical injuring her mother, Marcia Landais, 38, and sister Charlie Sellers, 9.
DeCarlo has now been formally charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and in injury, grand larceny, reckless endangerment and unauthorized use of a vehicle. He was also ticketed on citations of speeding and running a red light.
Joey had just gotten off a bus from camp and was picked up by her mother and sister at Flatlands Avenue and East 46th Street when the incident happened around 4:40 p.m. Wednesday. DeCarlo allegedly abandoned the car, which had been stolen, and ran away from the scene with the vehicle still on top of the women. In court yesterday, he reportedly told officers, "I couldn’t get the horrific scene out of my mind."
All three women were taken to Kings County Hospital in critical condition; Joey was pronounced dead there, while Charlie has since been transferred to NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia Hospital, and is still unconscious.
DeCarlo's brother, Dan, told the Post that his brother is a drug addict, and the family "disowned" him years ago because of his refusal to go to rehab: "We don’t know where he is," he said.
It seems that DeCarlo was in trouble with the law just a few weeks ago: he was busted for allegedly snatching an elderly woman's wallet and kicking her in the face in Brighton Beach.
“He beat me, he pushed me. I lost two teeth,” said 65-year-old victim Alla Rutitskaya. Prosecutors wanted to get him locked up on $60K bail, but his lawyer claimed the suspect was "the sole caretaker for his grandfather, who has dementia."
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brooklyn
fatal crash
hit and run
hit and run driver
joey sellers
robert deCarlo
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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