A Texas mother who hit and killed her young son earlier this month during a game of chicken is being accused of negligent homicide, ABC 13 reports.
Houston authorities originally described the case as an “unfortunate accident.”
But the Harris County District Attorney’s office criminally charged Lexus Stagg, 26, this week, after investigators determined she could have prevented the death.
Surveillance video shows that while Stagg was playing the game chicken with her kids in the parking lot of her Houston apartment complex, she put her vehicle in reverse, drove 100 feet and drove toward her children as they were running toward her.
Westside and VCU Officers are investigating a fatal accident 10800 Richmond. 3 year old male deceased at the hospital. 202 pic.twitter.com/m1cLHeKFEZ
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) June 12, 2019
Two older children got out of the way, but the youngest child, who was 3 years old, could not, and was run over by two tires, prosecutor Sean Teare said.
Neighbor Walter Turcios witnessed the incident, which he said was sad but not surprising.
“I felt bad, because those parents, they were never there. They were kind of negligent,” Turcios said. “(The kids were) always out here without supervision.”
In 2013, two of Stagg’s children were removed from her care and placed with a relative. She proceeded to have three additional children. One of them was the child who died, while the other two have also been placed with a relative.
Police arrested Stagg Thursday and she appeared in court Friday. Her bail was set at $1,500, which she posted Friday afternoon. Prosecutors had sought $50,000 in bail.
Stagg faces up to a decade in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors say Stagg was being reckless with her kids.
“Every parent has an obligation to protect their children, even from themselves,” District Attorney Kim Ogg said. “Cars aren’t toys and playing chicken with your kids isn’t a game.”
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[Feature Photo: Lexus Stagg/Police Handout]