ST. LOUIS — A man will spend 120 days of "shock time" in prison for causing the crash that killed his ex-girlfriend and their 1-year-old daughter in 2021.
Carlas Closson Jr. was sentenced Friday to two, four-year suspended sentences and ordered to spend the next 120 days in prison for the deaths of 28-year-old Domonique Hicks and Damonnie Hicks. Closson was found guilty of two counts of second-degree manslaughter in a September bench trial. Two counts of armed criminal action were dropped.
"Shock" probation is usually reserved for young, first-time or non-violent offenders and is designed to dissuade them from recidivism by "shocking" them with the reality of prison.
Editor's note: The above video was published on Sept. 5.
According to court documents, on the night of March 6, 2021, Hicks and her daughter rode in the mom's Chrysler PT Cruiser in north St. Louis with Carlas Closson.
Police say they reviewed surveillance video that showed Closson drove 61 mph, failed to obey a stop sign near Halls Ferry Circle Boulevard, hit a curb, went airborne and then plowed into two trees.
Domonique Hicks was killed.
Days later, Hicks and Closson's critically injured child was taken off life support and died. Police said she was not properly secured in the back seat of the car at the time of the crash.
Closson was driving with a suspended license, according to charging documents.
In September, Domonique Hicks' mother Malinda Stokes told 5 On Your Side that she was disappointed in the judge's decision at the conclusion of the bench trial. She said Closson has previously threatened her daughter.
"Three months before he killed my daughter and my granddaughter he told me he was going to kill them. Why? He was jealous of Domanique," Hicks said in September.