1-year-old boy dies in crash after family friend steals car with him inside, mother says

Authorities in Milwaukee have arrested and charged a woman who allegedly stole a car and got involved in a crash that left a 1-year-old boy dead. The minor, identified as Zarion Robinson, was in the vehicle Antwineesha Burse is accused of stealing, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The fatal incident occurred on Friday.

Zarion’s mother, Mikayla Tweedie, told the news outlet that the Burse was in the car with her before the suspect stole it. Tweedie also said Burse was an “acquaintance”. Burse faces a one-count felony charge of knowingly operating a motor vehicle without a valid license causing death. She faces a fine of up to $10,000 and a six-year prison sentence if she’s convicted.

“That day me and my cousin stopped by the house. (The suspected driver) was in the back seat, she (is) a family friend,” said Tweedie. “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.”

The deceased minor’s mother also said she has no idea why Burse drove off in her car. “I knew her well enough to think she wouldn’t do something like that,” Tweedie said.

Burse is said to have gotten into a head-on collision with another vehicle. A report from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office also stated that the seat Zarion was placed in at the time of the crash was unsecured. The report added that Burse was probably speeding, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The occupants in the other vehicle also drove away after the collision, police said, adding that Burse was taken to a hospital and arrested. “I want to see justice, I do. I want to see justice,” Zarion’s father, Eddie 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.”

Anthony also said his son was “always playful.” “He always had a smile, always laughing just doing normal stuff, just growing up everyday, so for this to happen is just tragic,” he added.