CAUGHT: Man who skipped out on sentencing for deadly DUI crash taken into custody
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - A D.C. man who pleaded guilty to a drunk driving crash that killed five people has been taken into custody. The capture comes after he skipped his sentencing hearing on Friday.
FOX 5 has learned a warrant squad arrested Kenneth Kelley on Monday. A warrant was out for his arrest when he did not show up to court last week to receive his sentence for five counts of negligent manslaughter and other charges for the deadly 2014 crash in Oxon Hill.
Kelley was behind of the wheel of a Mercedes vehicle that collided into an Acura from behind that was stopped at a red light at Livingston Road. Typhany Wilkerson, 32, Tameika Curtis, 35, Khadiua Ba, 13, and Hassan Boykin, 1 - died in the crash. Dominique Green, a 21-year-old passenger in Kelley's car, was also killed.
During his sentencing hearing, family members of the victims said they were repeatedly told by the court that Kelley's location was being monitored with a GPS device and he was on his way.
"When we found out that he wasn't coming to court, they said they were tracking his GPS," said Cardaro Jennings, a cousin of the four victims in the Acura. "One state attorney told us he was five minutes away. One said he was in route. Then next thing you know, they pulled us back in … and said that he didn't show. They were going to issue out a bench warrant for his arrest."
However, it turns out this was not the case. The Circuit Court for Prince George's County said Kelley was never issued a GPS monitoring device. A spokesperson for the court said the case file doesn't reflect an order for a GPS monitoring device.
Family members said Kelley being out on bond was bad enough, but not being monitored after he admitted to killing five people, including two children, while driving under the influence made a tragic situation a nightmare.
Jennings said his family is frustrated with how this all played out.
"I think not only did the state attorney make a mistake, the judge made a mistake as well," he said. "No judge should have signed off on this man walking freely.
A spokesperson for the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office said they are not sure where the mix-up occurred. Both the prosecution and the defense were all under the belief Kelley had a GPS monitoring device. They were just as surprised as everyone to learn he did not.
Now, the State's Attorney's Office is requesting a transcript from Kelley's plea hearing to determine what went wrong and who is to blame.
Jennings said the family is happy Kelley was caught and now they are refocusing on his sentencing so their loved ones can rest in peace.