A suspect in a hit-and-run crash that killed an 8-year-old boy in Philadelphia last week surrendered to police to face third-degree murder charges.
Khadeir Harris, 21, turned himself in to police on Sunday around 4:45 p.m., his attorney Richard J. Fuschino and Philadelphia police said.
Harris is charged with murder of the third degree, homicide by vehicle, accidents involving death, involuntary manslaughter, tampering with evidence, conspiracy, receiving stolen property, recklessly endangering another person, reckless driving, accidents involving damage to unattended vehicle, driving at safe speed and max speed limits.
Ja-Kha House, 8, was on 33rd and Huntingdon streets around 4:20 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 25, when he was struck by a white Buick Enclave that was traveling westbound on Huntingdon Street at a high speed, Philadelphia police said.
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Ring video from Kenneth Alston's home as well as surveillance video show the speeding SUV striking the 2nd grader and then continuing without stopping.
"How can you hit a kid, and just keep right on going and not even stop? He didn't even hit the brakes," Alston said.
Responding medics with the Philadelphia Fire Department performed CPR on the boy. He was then taken to St. Christopher’s Hospital where he died a short time later.
Later that night, around 7:15 p.m., police found the hit-and-run vehicle, which they said was stolen, on the 4000 block of Balwynne Road. Police said the vehicle was damaged and two men were spotted fleeing the scene.
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Ja-Kha's great aunt, who did not want to be identified, told NBC10 the child was with his mother when they went to a corner store just before the crash.
"He was truly loved by everyone on this block," she said. "He was a lovable kid."
Police later released a photo of a person of interest in the hit-and-run. Attorney Richard J. Fuschino told NBC10 his client Khadeir Harris saw his picture on social media and contacted him. He then contacted the District Attorney’s Office.
“Right now we’ve surrendered him to the police here at the 9th District. He’s going to be processed in the next 16 or so hours,” Fuschino said. “He’ll have a bail hearing. From there he’ll have a preliminary hearing.”
Harris was arraigned overnight, the court told NBC10.
Fuschino told NBC10 his client is accused of being inside the hit-and-run vehicle. He also said his client may have been trying to flee a shooting at the time of the hit-and-run crash.
“What we know or at least what we have been able to figure out, it sounds like there were at least two people in the car,” Fuschino said. “It sounds like the car had bullet holes in it. Potentially he was being shot at. That certainly does not take away how sad and tragic the accident was. But we just don’t have all of those details yet.”
