CLEVELAND — Shalonte Maddox is demanding that the 88-year-old man accused of driving into her and her toddler in late March be arrested, but the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office has not issued an arrest warrant as of Thursday night.
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88-year-old George Balasko was recently indicted by a Cuyahoga County Grand Jury on the following charges:
- Two counts of vehicular assault, felonies of the fourth degree
- Two counts of failure to stop after an accident, felonies of the fifth degree
- Two counts of failure to stop after a nonpublic road accident, felonies of the fifth degree.
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While Maddox said the indictment is a step in the right direction towards justice, she wants to see Balasko in handcuffs.
"There's still no age for justice. That doesn't define the fact that you committed a crime and that shouldn't matter in this case when you leave a baby like this," Maddox said while rallying outside The Justice Center on Ontario Street Thursday night.
She, along with a handful of others, held up signs that pleaded "Justice for Genesis."
I asked the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office why an arrest warrant has yet to be issued and if one ever will be.
A spokesperson said, "As is routine with lower-level felony cases, a court summons instead of an arrest warrant was issued on indictment. Also taken into consideration was the fact that the defendant is 88 years old and has no prior criminal history. It is likely that at his arraignment, a personal bond will be set. The defendant will then be processed and released on that date."
A personal bond, also known as a signature bond, allows defendants to simply sign their name as a promise to come back to court rather than paying a bond amount or providing property as calamity.
"My grandfather, as an African American male, could not be 88 years old and hit a 31-year-old Caucasian woman and her 2-year-old son and him not be in the jail with no bail," Maddox said. "They did every step necessary that they could to make sure he doesn't get in trouble. That's the way I feel. I'm frustrated."
Anybody in their right mind should go to jail. It doesn't matter who you are. You did this to me. You have to go to jail.
According to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, the State will be asking at the arraignment that all driving privileges be suspended for Balasko.
Maddox said she's going to keep fighting for justice on behalf of her toddler, Genesis, who was allegedly struck by Balasko's vehicle.
She is also fighting to change state law — requiring all elderly drivers to retake a driver exam once they reach a certain age.
Ohio lawmakers are already considering drafting legislation this year that would address that.
