18-year-old speaks out after he says he went from victim of crash to suspect | Exclusive
ALLERTON, Bronx (WABC) -- An 18-year-old who was hurt in a crash following a drive-by shooting is speaking out and talking exclusively with Eyewitness News after he was arrested in the hospital.
The teen was hospitalized when a car that was speeding away from a shooting in Allerton smashed into his car.
His father spoke exclusively to Eyewitness News after police showed up at the hospital to arrest his son.
The 18-year-old just graduated in May from Bronx Design while completing trade school at the same time.
"For me it feels like a really big accomplishment because it helps me get deeper into my career and plumbing," he said. "It was a great school, great teachers. I loved all of them. They were all amazing. And it's just crazy that I'm going through this right now, which is going to slow down the process of me getting into my career."
The process of becoming a plumber has slowed down as he fights three counts of weapons possession and one count of possession of ammunition after he was hit by a car full of gunmen fleeing the scene of a fatal drive-by shooting on Monday.
According to the criminal complaint, on the dashboard police found "one 45 caliber magazine and two live .45 caliber hollow point rounds" and "underneath said vehicle one 45 caliber semi-automatic pistol."
His family believes the weapons flew out of the suspect's car.
"They obviously saw that the guy was out the window with the gun," he said. "And once we got into the car crash, I don't know if they ever decided to get the fingerprints."
Surveillance video shows the 18-year-old dropping off his cousin in his dad's minivan at 7:32 p.m. Monday. The drive-by shooting on Allerton Avenue happened at 7:34 p.m.
A few minutes later a car full of gunmen fleeing police slammed right into the minivan. Three weapons and magazines were thrown onto the street and recovered by police.
"I have no clue and never had a gun, I never used a gun," he said.
Later that evening, he was arrested from his hospital bed at St. Barnabas.
"And it's crazy they're trying to put me in that space as a criminal, I've never been a criminal," he said.
----------
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
