The family of a 12-year-old boy killed in a hit and run accident in East Cleveland last summer were outraged to discover that the suspect charged in his death is posting pictures and videos of herself driving on social media while out on bond.
Ameer Mitchell was struck and killed while playing outside his home on Roxbury Road on Aug. 10. The driver left the scene.
“He was broken into so many pieces,” said his mother, Navetta Clark, who helped care for him in the street before the ambulance arrived.
Multiple witnesses identified 19-year-old Starlesha Lewis as the driver. The next day she was forced to turn herself into police.
According to court records, she was arrested and charged with aggravated vehicular homicide and failure to stop after an accident.
An indictment filed Feb. 26 when she was bound over to Cuyahoga County Court shows that Lewis shouldn’t have been behind the wheel in the first place. Court documents said she does not have a valid drivers license.
Lewis bonded out within 6 days of her arrest.
Since her release from jail, her followers on Instagram tell News 5 she has posted multiple videos of herself driving and at least one accident.
Pictures obtained by News 5 that were posted late last week show Lewis in a neck brace with the caption saying she “got into a car accident” followed by a picture of a car with significant damage to the driver’s side.
Clark said she and her family were horrified by the posts.
“It’s an insult to injury and it hurts me to the bottom of my soul,” Clark said.
Lewis did not respond to a request for comment and attempts to reach her at home were unsuccessful.
News 5 reached out to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office to ask if Lewis is in violation of the terms of her bond.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson told News 5 that they have forwarded the photos and information to the detective working on the case and will be looking into the allegations.
If investigators can prove Lewis was driving, she could be in violation of the terms of her bond.
