Reckless driver who killed Antioch boy walking home from school in 2022 sentenced
Monday, December 23rd, 2024
Ray Shaqil Reeves who “was crying a few times” during trial agrees to plea deal for 8 years, 4 months in state prison, could be out in three-and-a-half
Aunt shares details from trial, incident, says Gianathon Vincent’s surviving cousins now in high school
GoFundMe page for the family continues raising funds
By Allen D. Payton
According to the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, on Thursday, December 19, 2024, in the case of People v. Ray Shaqil Reeves, a court hearing was held to determine the appropriate term of imprisonment. The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office recommended the maximum sentence of 9 years and 8 months in state prison, while the defense advocated for a 2-year sentence.
After weighing the relevant legal factors, Judge Charles Burch sentenced Reeves to 8 years and 4 months in state prison for killing a 12-year-old boy, Gianathon Vincent, in Antioch.
Deputy District Attorney Aron DeFerrari, who prosecuted the case said: “This is a profoundly sad incident. The impact of Mr. Reeves’ devastating actions cannot be described in words alone.”
On September 16, 2022, Reeves was driving recklessly at twice the speed limit on Sycamore Drive when he struck the boy and two other children, who were walking home from school. The collision severely injured the other two children.
As previously reported at approximately 3:20 PM, the Antioch Police Department Dispatch began to receive numerous reports of a major injury collision in which three juvenile pedestrians, one girl and two boys, were struck by a vehicle. Witnesses stated that a red Chevrolet Impala struck a tan Mercury Mystique in the area of Sycamore Drive and Manzanita Way, forcing the Impala in the direction of the juveniles walking on the southwest corner of Sycamore Drive and Manzanita way.
At approximately 3:23 PM, Antioch Officers arrived at the scene of the collision and located two of the juveniles who were in critical condition. Officers immediately began life-saving measures when the third juvenile was located several feet away. With the assistance of Medical Emergency Services, all three juveniles were given medical attention at the scene and ultimately life-flighted to local area hospitals to receive additional medical care.
Additionally, the driver of the Mystique was transported to a local area hospital as a precaution. In contrast, the driver of the Impala was also life-flighted to a local hospital for serious injuries sustained during the collision.
According to witness statements, the Mercury Mystique was traveling westbound on Sycamore Drive and was waiting for traffic to clear before turning left (southbound) onto Manzanita Way. Simultaneously, the Chevrolet Impala exited Sycamore Square onto westbound Sycamore Drive at a high rate of speed. As the Impala approached the Mercury, the Impala attempted to pass the Mercury on the left just as the Mercury began to make the left-hand turn. Regrettably, the result was the Impala colliding into the Mercury, propelling the Impala in the direction of the juveniles reportedly walking home from school.
According to localcrimenews.com, the 31-year-old Reeves was charged for vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and reckless driving with injury. However, as previously reported by the Antioch Police on Oct. 11, 2024, the day he was arrested, Reeves was charged with six felonies with three enhancements and he was held on $390,000 bail at that time. According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department, he was born on Sept. 21, 1993, is six-foot, two-inches tall, 255 pounds and as of Dec. 23, 2024, is being held in the West County Detention Facility.
Following the incident, the children’s aunt, Veronica Finley, shared the condition of her three young relatives. “Cheyanne who is at U.C Davis is improving,” she said. “Mason and Gianathon are at Oakland Children’s. Mason is also improving, Gianathon has not improved, and we are praying but it’s not looking good.”
Asked for their ages, Finley responded, “They are 12 years old. They are a blended family.”
She also shared that Gianathon’s “spine was partially severed” and was placed “on life support.”
He later succumbed to his injuries.
Following the sentencing, she said, “The trial started on Monday, and we did all of our victim impact statements, including the children. It was horrible, hard hitting but touching. It was pretty powerful.”
“The defense tried to say the driver had PTSD. But he took a plea deal and was sentenced to 8 years, 4 months in prison. Even though that was less than the minimum, the family didn’t want to put the kids through a trial. They would have had to get up and
“Reeves got up and spoke, too. He was crying a few times. I’m sure he feels bad,” Finley stated. “He was also given two strikes, time served in jail, and he cannot appeal this. If he gets out on good behavior he may end up only doing three-and-a-half more years, the DA said.”
Asked if he was drunk, she said, “No. They said he was distraught as he had just gotten a disturbing phone call right before. His mom said he and his girlfriend had just broken up.”
“They live over by Lake Alhambra, so he had to drive all the way over as school was letting out,” Finley continued. “There was video from the little shopping center on Sycamore that they showed during the trial. You could hear the screeching out of view, as he slammed on his brakes because he almost hit a mother and her child walking across the street.”
“Then he zoomed to 62 miles per hour westbound on Sycamore when he hit the kids. They weren’t even in the crosswalk, they were still on the sidewalk,” she stated. “Gianothan was under the Impala the whole time. Mason was trapped between the Impala and the bushes. Cheyanne was thrown 50 feet into the side of someone’s home. They couldn’t find her
“Jami was wondering why the kids weren’t home, yet so she called Mason’s phone. When he answered he said, ‘Mommy, help me, I’m dying,’” Finley shared. “She drove to the scene and it was just chaotic. People were everywhere. It was three in the afternoon and kids were walking home from school. At first, she couldn’t find Cheyanne and Jami asked, ‘where is my daughter?’ to people on the scene.”
“It was the strangest thing. I felt that something had happened, and I called Jami and asked if the kids were OK and she said, they were getting ready to go the hospital because the kids were hit by a car,” the aunt shared. “Mason was taken by ambulance and Gianothan was airlifted to Oakland Children’s Hospital. Cheyanne was flown to U.C. Davis Medical Center as she had been unconscious for a bit. She had a brain bleed and a broken pelvis. When she woke up in the hospital Cheyanne didn’t remember what happened. She was in a wheelchair for a while.”
Gianathon’s grandmother, his dad’s mom and I stayed at a home near the hospital the whole time. It’s like a Ronald McDonald House. Or we’d stay in the room with him,” Finley continued. “The hospital was great to us. They brought us hot food and care packages.”
“We took Gianathon off life support two weeks later on Oct. 1st,” she stated. “That was the hardest decision. We donated some of his organs.”
Asked about her niece and nephew Finley said, “Mason and Cheyanne are doing OK. They’re in high school, now. This is their first year and he played quarterback for the JV football team. They had to do some skin grafts for his face, and he has to undergo leg surgeries. Also, Cheyanne is playing volleyball for Antioch High.”
A GoFundMe page was set up for the family by Eden Comfort, Johnny’s aunt, to help with expenses. A total of $42,000 has been raised to date toward the goal of $70,000.
On that page she wrote, “Johnny Comfort and Jami Hanlin are parents of five beautiful children together. Johnny is a Manager at an apartment complex and Handyman, and Jami is a Special Education Teacher. The family lives in Antioch. The family is devastated, and they need your help with prayers and love right now. A disastrous event like this will cause enormous expenses for the family. Please find it in your heart to donate to the family to help in their time of need.”
Comfort and Hanlin were Gianathon’s uncle and aunt who had guardianship of him and have since married, Finley shared.
“The family appreciates all the help people provided that day and continued prayers from the community,” she added.
