Mother of 1-year-old baby who died in a stolen vehicle in Milwaukee says a 'family friend' stole her car
Around 40 people gathered at the site of a fatal crash, the corner of North 35th Street and West Hope Avenue, on Tuesday night to mourn the loss of 1-year-old Zarion Robinson.
Zarion died Friday when a 31-year-old woman stole Zarion's mother's car, with Zarion inside, and crashed into another vehicle head-on, killing him, according to a criminal complaint.
According to a report from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office, Zarion was in a car seat but it was not secured to the vehicle. Also, the report says the driver may have been speeding.
The driver of the stolen car was hospitalized and arrested, police said. The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office filed charges Wednesday against Antwineesha Burse of Milwaukee.
Burse is charged with one count of knowingly operating a motor vehicle without a valid license causing death, which is a felony. If convicted, she could be fined up to $10,000 and be imprisoned up to six years.
Zarion's mother, Mikayla Tweedie, told the Journal Sentinel that the driver was an "acquaintance" of hers who was in the car with the mother prior to stealing it.
"That day me and my cousin stopped by the house. (The suspected driver) was in the back seat, she (is) a family friend," Tweedie said. "Me and my cousin went inside to drop my cousin's cat off. ... She took it upon herself to hop in the driver's seat and pull off with my child in the car. I called her and said I don't care about the car, I just want my baby back."
Tweedie said she does not understand why the suspected driver took off with her car. "I knew her well enough to think she wouldn't do something like that," she said.
During the crash, police said the driver and passengers of a second vehicle fled the scene and unknown suspects are being sought. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee Police at 414-935-7360, or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips or use the P3 Tips app.
Zarion's father, Eddie Anthony, wants justice for his son's death. "I want to see justice, I do. I want to see justice," Anthony said. "He didn't deserve it, he had a lot of life ahead of him. Like I said, gone but never forgotten, but it's a lot of heartache that we will never get over. Everybody's going to think about it every day, every minute, every second, so it's tough, it's hard."
Zarion's grandfather, Donnie Thomas, said he was devastated when he heard that his grandson was killed. "I was hurt," he said.
Thomas said it felt good to have the support of loved ones at Tuesday's vigil, but, he added, "Justice needs to be served."
Zarion remembered for his beautiful smile that could light up a room
"He was such a fun child," Thomas said, adding that the family is going to grieve for a while because 13-month-old Zarion's death leaves a massive hole that will never be filled.
Tweedie said she will always remember her son's "beautiful smile," which could make a room "glow up."
"He just had the most amazing heart. He was an innocent child. ... He came in the room and everybody would smile," Tweedie said.
"He was always playful," Anthony said. "He always had a smile, always laughing just doing normal stuff, just growing up everyday, so for this to happen is just tragic."
Contact Drake Bentley at (414) 391-5647 or DBentley1@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DrakeBentleyMJS.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mom of baby who died in stolen car in Milwaukee says driver was friend
