BEACON PHOTO/MARSHA MCLAUGHLIN
Protest â€" Joy Anderson and Dylan Hoffman hold signs, while Robin Parker, center, looks on, at the corner of East New York and Amelia avenues during the trial of Josh Ritter in the Volusia County Courthouse. Parker’s son and another teen died when the vehicle, driven by Ritter,rolled on Fort Florida Road.
By Jen Horton
posted Feb 9, 2012 - 8:38:18am
The teenager who was driving one year ago when two boys were killed in a car-surfing crash in DeBary was sentenced Feb. 3. Josh Ritter will serve a year of house arrest, and spend five years on probation.
Robin Parker’s son, Hunter Perez, died in the crash, as did Carlos Velazco. Both lived in DeBary; both were 18 years old.
Parker said Ritter’s sentence was too light.
During Ritter’s trial at the Volusia County Courthouse, Parker and some of her son’s friends stood across the street on the corner of New York and Amelia avenues, holding signs that urged a five-year sentence for Ritter, who was also 18 on the day of the crash. Parker said only jail time would work to discourage other teens from the dangerous practice of car-surfing.
“This is a crime, and these boys were repeat offenders. They had filmed themselves car-surfing the day before,†Parker said.
Car-surfers hang on the outside of a vehicle while someone else is driving. On Feb. 1 on Fort Florida Road in DeBary, two boys stood on the running boards of the SUV, hanging onto the luggage rack, while three others rode inside the car. The teens filmed themselves, laughing and shouting, as the vehicle sped down the hard-packed dirt road.
One of the boys managed to climb back into the vehicle through a window; he survived when the SUV rolled. The other boy who was on the outside of the car, Velazco, did not survive.
Hunter Perez was trapped inside the SUV, and was unable to get out when it burst into flames.
“They didn’t want the punishment to be too harsh for Josh,†Parker said. “We’re not here to consider what’s harsh for Josh. What Hunter went through was way more harsh than what Josh would have went through in jail. What’s harsh is Hunter burning alive.â€
Ritter and Kenyanna Hawkins, both 18, along with 17-year-old Ryan Jenkins, were injured in the crash. Hawkins and Jenkins were not charged.
Watch video of the moments leading up to the fatal crash
Parker said Ritter’s sentence sent a message that boys can engage in dangerous driving, “kill people, and only get a year of house arrest.â€
“Kids are going to get on the Internet, see the videos, and know that there are no real penalties,†Parker said. “I just wanted justice for my son. Hunter didn’t receive any justice.â€
The State Attorney’s Office said prosecutors sought sentencing recommendations from all five families involved, and three of the families were opposed to jail time for the driver.
Ritter’s was sentenced under the “youthful offender†guidelines of Chapter 958 of the Florida Statutes, which provides a one-time shot for a person under the age of 21 to have a second chance after committing a crime.
A judge can use his or her discretion in sentencing a youthful offender, and may waive the mandatory minimum prison sentence. In this case, the driver could have faced up to 35 years in prison. The statute was enacted to improve the chances of rehabilitating young, first-time offenders.
Parker said she thought a sentence of one to five years in jail would have been appropriate, and a more effective deterrent than house arrest.
“I didn’t want him to go to prison for 20 years,†she said.
In a statement about the judgment, Larizza said, “The families of the victims and of all those involved in this case will carry the scars from this tragic event with them for the rest of their lives. My heart goes out to all of them. … If there is to be something positive to come out of this tragedy, it should be that teenagers and parents alike learn and acknowledge the dangerous and deadly consequences that flow from the reckless practice known as car-surfing, and that our teenage children will not engage in such perilous activities.â€
In addition to the house arrest and probation, Ritter’s driver’s license was suspended for five years, and he will serve 120 hours of community service, including two presentations a year to young people about the dangers of car-surfing and reckless driving.
The car-surfing videos from Jan. 31, 2011, and from the moments before the accident can be seen on The Beacon’s YouTube page. Visit www.youtube.com/delandbeacon.
â€" jen@beacononlinenews.com
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