ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A man involved in an illegal street racing event that left a 13-year-old dead was sentenced to seven years in prison on Monday.
The St. Petersburg Police Department said Carlos Ferndandez, 23, was sentenced for hitting the victim, Ethan Julio Martin, while operating a motorcycle in January 2023. His sentence will be followed by 13 years of probation.
Shortly after midnight on Jan. 29, 2023, a crowd gathered on 28th Street North for the illegal event. Ethan was attending with his dad, Johnny Martin, who brought him to the event. While attempting to cross 28th Street North, Fernandez struck Ethan while on the motorcycle, which was going over 100 miles per hour.
Ethan died at the scene.
Martin's father, 35-year-old Johnny Martin, was charged with child neglect in Feb. 2023.
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