ST. LOUIS — A 17-year-old charged in connection with a fatal accident that left five members of a family dead is now facing murder charges, according to juvenile authorities.
The teen, who is not being named because he has not yet been certified as an adult, is now facing five counts of second-degree murder and possession of a controlled substance. The teen is already facing charges of tampering with a motor vehicle and unlawful use of a weapon.
An 18-year-old has also been charged in connection to the May 6 crash on Delmar Boulevard.
Marshawn Stepney of St. Louis is facing 17 charges that range from second-degree murder and assault to resisting arrest.
A third teen who police say was riding in the stolen vehicle that caused the crash was arrested on suspicion of a misdemeanor charge and is not in custody, according to juvenile authorities.
Police said just before 9 p.m. on May 6, the department's license plate recognition system alerted detectives in the Real-Time Crime Center to a stolen Jeep Cherokee traveling east on Page Boulevard that was wanted for multiple crimes in multiple areas.
On the 4200 block of Delmar, the Jeep swerved and struck an Infiniti SUV. The driver who was struck followed the Jeep to try and get a license plate number, and at Delmar and Kingshighway, the passenger of the Jeep fired shots at the Infiniti, police said.
The Jeep then sped away without stopping, according to a probable cause statement from St. Louis police.
It ran over spike strips that had been deployed by police at Delmar just east of N. Taylor Avenue. Less than two blocks later, the Jeep crashed into a 2010 Kia Sedona that was traveling north on Pendleton Avenue. There were seven people in the Kia, all from the same family who had just finished grocery shopping.
Chief John Hayden held a press conference following the crash.
"At this point in the investigation we have no evidence that our officers were involved in a vehicle pursuit or that spike strips contributed to the crash," Hayden said. "The evidence at this time points solely at the criminal conduct of the suspects in the Jeep."
Aaron Piggee told 5 On Your Side the people who were killed included his mother, Anngelique Simmons, 52; his sister, Rhonda Simmons, 34; uncles: Ephriam Simmons, 47, and Luther Simmons, 45 and 11-year-old Takera Thompson died later at a hospital from her injuries. Two other girls in the car, ages 15 and 8 were injured but survived.
Police said a "black box" from the Jeep showed that it was traveling 82 mph at impact.
NAACP leaders held a press conference at the scene of the crash, calling police pursuits a public safety emergency. The NAACP sent an advisory notice to local police departments, asking to revise their pursuit policy.
Vantage from another security camera in a nearby alley showed a flash of light in the upper left corner, which Green said was a fireball from the crash. The suspect, identified by police as Stepney, was then seen entering the alley and running from the scene.
Police found Stepney's cell phone on the Jeep's driver's side floorboard, and he was later taken into custody.
The Jeep was reported stolen from Herculaneum on April 3 and was connected to several felonies across the area, police said.