Fourth teen pleads guilty in sandbag case
2/23/2018The fourth and final youth to stand charges for the death of a Michigan man who died after a sandbag was thrown over an I-75 overpass in December entered multiple guilty pleas Friday in Lucas County Juvenile Court.
Demetrius Wimberly, 14, pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the death of Marquise Byrd, 22, of Warren, Mich., a passenger in a vehicle who died after the vehicle was struck by the sandbag on Dec. 19.
The teen plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, and two counts of vehicular vandalism, a second-degree felony and a misdemeanor offense.
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The other three who were involved — Pedro Salinas, 13, Sean Carter, 14, and William Parker, 15 — previously entered pleas in the death of Mr. Byrd. All are to be sentenced April 6 by Judge Denise Navarre Cubbon.
The four boys were walking to a store to purchase candy when they crossed the Indiana Avenue overpass. They began throwing rocks at cars, according to the prosecutor.
The Carter boy previously admitted in court to throwing the first sandbag off the overpass. The Salinas boy admitted to throwing the sandbag that landed on the passing car.
Mr. Byrd was a passenger in a southbound vehicle when he suffered blunt-force trauma to the head and neck from a thrown sandbag, police said. The sandbag dropped about 10:10 p.m. from the Indiana Avenue bridge and struck Mr. Byrd through a car windshield.
The boys ran from the scene and went to buy candy, it was learned during their pleas. They walked back along the overpass, where they were met by police. They later learned the second sandbag drop caused the fatality.