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.
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
