Cristian Uvidia: Two Chicago teens charged with misdemeanor for crashing stolen car, leaving 6-month-old boy dead
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers' discretion advised
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: A pair of reckless teenagers were arrested and charged with a misdemeanor for stealing a car and ramming it into a pickup truck, killing the occupants' six-month-old son. The 14-year-old and 17-year-old suspects each face a single count of criminal trespassing over the incident. Chicago police said additional charges will be added pending a further investigation into the fatal crash.
Authorities informed the callous tragedy occurred around 5 pm on April 16, when the two boys stole a Hyundai sedan and were speeding down the 4400 block of West Washington Road which is when they ran through an intersection and collided with a pickup truck. According to police, there were multiple hospitalizations and a fatality in the crash. "They stole a car, and they stole our entire lives in that one instant," a family member said of the heartbreaking plight.
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Stolen vehicle crashes, killing 6-month-old Cristian Uvidia
In the crash, there was a six-month-old baby boy identified as Cristian Uvidia, who later died after he succumbed to his injuries. The toddler's two older sisters and mother are still in the hospital but suffered non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to recover fully, a family member told WGN. Law enforcement added that there were two others accompanying the 14 and 17-year-old boys in the car. Their identity is unknown, and it remains unclear if they will face any charges for stealing the car that led to the fatal crash.
(WGN video screengrab)
'Heaven has the most beautiful angel now!'
Cristian's family described the toddler as joyous with a full life ahead of him which was cut short. "He always had this big smile on his face, he loved to sing and dance," said cousin Analisse Rivera. "It's been a rough few days, it's felt like ten years," she said. "This is like truly all of our worst nightmares." After the disturbing collision, good samaritans rushed to Christian's aid and pulled the six-month-old out of the car, and attempted CPR.
"Unfortunately, he was brain dead, and then the next day he passed," Rivera said. "They stole a car, and they stole our entire lives in that one instant. I don't know what the price of the car was, but I'm sure it wasn't equivalent to the life of a child. Heaven has the most beautiful angel right now, and we know we'll see him again one day," she said.