CLEVELAND — Donald Mynatt, who is accused of the hit-and-run in Cleveland that killed 7-year-old Amir Prewitt last month, has been indicted on several charges by a grand jury in Cuyahoga County.
According to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, the 32-year-old Mynatt was indicted on the following charges:
- Two counts of Failure to Stop After an Accident (second and third-degree felonies)
- One count of Tampering With Evidence
- One count of Negligent Homicide
“Amir Prewitt’s death is a terrible tragedy, and my thoughts and prayers remain with his family,” said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley in a statement. “Donald Mynatt selfishly thought he could evade justice, and thanks to the diligent work by the U.S. Marshals and the Cleveland Division of Police, that is not the case.”
In its release, the prosecutor's office also explained why Mynatt was not charged with aggravated vehicular homicide.
"In order to prove Aggravated Vehicular Homicide beyond a reasonable doubt, the State of Ohio must prove the defendant acted recklessly," O'Malley's office noted. "At this time, there is no evidence that the defendant was operating the vehicle while under the influence, driving at a high rate of speed, using a cell phone, or engaging in any other conduct that would be considered reckless under the Ohio Revised Code."
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
Mynatt was arraigned on Monday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court and entered a plea of not guilty. Bond was set at $100,000 with a pretrial date set for Sept. 23.
CASE DETAILS
Investigators say on Aug. 16, Amir was riding his skateboard in the parking lot of the Lakeshore Beach Apartments in Cleveland at around 7:20 p.m. when he was struck by a black Mercedes SUV driven by Mynatt.
According to prosecutors, Mynatt then "pulled into a parking area, turned around, and drove away at an accelerated rate of speed."
Amir was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
Although police found Mynatt's SUV abandoned in Cleveland within 24 hours of the incident, he remained at large until Sept. 4, when U.S. Marshals tracked him down at an abandoned office space located above storage units in Willoughby. Bond was set at $5 million.
Cuyahoga County court records show Mynatt has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2010, bouncing in and out of prison for various offenses, including theft and domestic violence. Notably, he was supposed to appear in court last December on another domestic violence charge, but Judge Steven E. Gall issued a warrant for his arrest after he did not show up, making him a fugitive at the time of Amir's death.
Previous Reporting:
- $5 million bond set for suspect accused of killing boy in Cleveland hit-and-run
- Cleveland police identify suspect in hit-and-run that killed 7-year-old boy, ask for help finding him
- Cleveland police ask for public's help identifying person of interest as investigation of alleged hit-and-run that killed 7-year-old boy continues