The parents of a seven-year-old boy were arrested and charged with manslaughter and neglect after their son was fatally hit by a vehicle on Tuesday evening trying to cross the street.
Authorities reported on May 29, 2025, that police officials filed criminal charges against the couple. The suspects were identified as 30-year-old Jessica Ivey and 31-year-old Samuele Jenkins. The charges are felony involuntary manslaughter, felony child neglect, and misdemeanor child neglect.
Couple Charged With Manslaughter and Neglect
Gastonia police said that an investigation into the case found that the accident involved the seven-year-old boy and his 10-year-old brother. The two children were both unsupervised when they tried to cross the street before being struck by traffic.
Authorities argued that these tragic incidents are where adults should be held accountable for their responsibilities in ensuring that their kids are in a safe environment. At the time of the crash, Gastonia police responded on May 27, shortly before 6:00 p.m., to West Hudson Boulevard, according to WBTV.
When officers arrived at the scene of a vehicle crash involving a pedestrian, they found the seven-year-old boy struck by an SUV whose driver was a 76-year-old woman. Police noted that the victim was with his 10-year-old brother as they tried to cross the street but not on the crosswalk.
Gastonia police added that officers quickly transported the seven-year-old boy to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. They later transferred him to Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte where he was pronounced dead at around 10:00 p.m., WCNC reported.
Tragic Death of Seven-Year-Old Boy
The seven-year-old victim was identified as Legend Jenkins, who is a second-grader at H.H. Beam Elementary School. In a previous interview, his mother said that at the time of the incident, she was shopping at Food Lion and she allowed her two sons to walk from the grocery store to their home, which was relatively close.
That was the first time that the mother let her two children cross that street all by themselves without adult supervision. Police added that they found no evidence that the driver of the car involved in the accident was speeding or did any wrongdoing.
A memorial marks the spot where the seven-year-old boy was struck by the vehicle. His parents shared a picture of their son following his untimely demise. It also seemed like the child and his brother were talking to their father on the phone when the accident happened, as per Yahoo News.
