With the funeral for the three children killed in a carjacking hit-and-run crash set for Monday, a family member of one of the suspects charged in the incident is speaking out and apologizing to the loved ones of the victims.
“I would like to send out condolences on behalf of the Crawford family,” said Cornelius Crawford’s aunt, who did not want to be identified. “We know it was a tragic death and we’re really feeling for the family.”
Crawford, 23, and 19-year-old Jonathan Rosa were charged last Monday with second-degree murder, robbery, carjacking, sexual assault and other offenses. On July 25, the two men allegedly carjacked a SUV, sexually assaulted a woman inside and then plowed into a woman, her three children and her friend as they were selling fruit during a fundraiser on Germantown and Allegheny Avenues.
The three children, Joseph Thomas Reed, 10, Keiearra Williams, 15, and Terrence Moore, 7, died from their injuries. Their mother, 34-year-old Keisha Williams, remains in critical condition. The family friend, 65-year-old Thelma Brown, was released from the hospital Wednesday after suffering a broken ankle and bruised sternum.
“It’s tragic,” Crawford’s aunt said. “We’re not here to justify anything that he’s done. He was in the wrong on so many levels and we can’t do anything about that. We just wanna let them know how sorry we are.”
The aunt claims Crawford suffered from mental issues that were amplified by his usage of synthetic marijuana.
“I think it happened because he has a little mental issue,” the aunt said. “We tried to give him help. He started taking K2 that’s not for human consumption because he was on parole.”
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The aunt claims Crawford’s father is “devastated” by the allegations against his son. She also says the family hasn’t had the chance to speak to Crawford.
“We’re trying to get together so that we can speak to him,” she said.
The funeral for the three children killed in the crash is set to take place on Monday at 11 a.m. at the Seventh Day Adventist Church at 16th and Oxford Streets.
