A 14-year-old Texas boy was hit and killed by a car on his way to school, and now a passenger in the car that hit him is facing murder charges.
Dallas police said in a statement that Jonathan Ayala was walking to school in the East Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas just before 8 a.m. on Friday, September 6, when a vehicle veered off the road and struck him.
Police said Jonathan was walking through a grassy area near the intersection of Marsalis Avenue and Leadbetter Drive when he was struck.
Police said further investigation determined that the passenger, James Grant, 47, was involved in an alleged altercation with the driver while traveling south on Marsalis Street.
“Grant then engaged in a struggle with the driver and assaulted him,” the statement said.
Dallas County Jail
The car was heading east on Leadbetter Street when “Grant reached over to the driver’s side, causing the vehicle to go off the road and strike a teenager who was walking through the grass,” police alleged in a statement.
Grant allegedly stole property from the driver and fled the scene, according to the statement.
The driver called 911, stopped the vehicle and remained at the scene. Jonathan was rushed to a local hospital where he later died.
Officers found Grant later that day and arrested him on suspicion of felony murder. “He was in the process of committing a felony that caused the death of a teenager,” police said in a statement.
He was also arrested on suspicion of parole violation, according to online jail records.
The investigation is ongoing.
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Grant remains in custody at Dallas County North Tower Jail on $750,000 bail, according to online jail records.
It was unclear whether he has retained an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
As Grant awaits his next court date, Jonathan’s family is mourning the loss of his brother, who was described as a “bright and kind-hearted boy,” said Elias Ayala, who started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for his brother’s funeral.
Jonathan’s “contagious laugh and boundless enthusiasm brought joy to all who met him,” Elias wrote. “His absence leaves an irreplaceable hole in our lives and we are struggling to cope with the immense grief of losing a treasured member of our family.”
The Dallas Independent School District confirmed that Jonathan was a student at Boude-Story Middle School, CBS News reported.
The school is just a few blocks from where Jonathan was attacked.
