MIAMI (WSVN) - Two young parents are now behind bars after, police said, they were involved in a dangerous crash while their two children were in the back seat of the car.
Twenty-four-year-old Cedric Bethel and 21-year-old Hailey Magiera faced a judge, Monday, after they were accused of putting the lives of their children at risk just the day before.
According to police, it began when officials saw a black Volkswagen Passat following some ATV riders in an attempt record video. The speeding car wouldn’t stop, and moments later, it smashed into air pumps at a gas station at 34th Street and Biscayne Boulevard.
Police said when they got there, they discovered the car was reported stolen out of West Palm Beach and found drugs in the car.
No injuries were reported. However, police said they found the couple’s two small children, ages 1 and 2, in the backseat of the car, both without car seats.
During the couple’s court appearance, the judge offered some words to Magiera.
“You’re well on your way to losing your kids if you keep acting like this,” said Miami-Dade judge Catherine Pooler.
“I don’t want to. I don’t want to,” Magiera responded.
“Good, then you can grow up. You’re 21. You’re a young mother, doesn’t mean you have to be a bad mother,” Pooler told Magiera. “I mean, there’s certainly people that are willing to help you and look out to teach you things, but I mean one of these kids was on the floor under the seat when they found him. The other one was head-first on the console. [It] doesn’t look like they were belted to me.”
Magiera was charged with child neglect while Bethel was charged with a host of charges including fleeing and eluding police at a high speed, reckless driving, drug charges and grand theft.
Bethel’s bond was set at $32,000 while Magiera’s was set at $3,000.
Both of the children are now in foster care, and the parents have been ordered to stay away, should they bond out of jail.
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