ST. LOUIS — Cynthia Hightower received great joy out of one tradition she's cherished for years with her son, Jerome Hightower.
"When we depart from each other, I'll kiss my son on his forehead and we'll hug each other and we'll say I love you," Cynthia said.
The St. Louis mom said she never imagined she would give Jerome his last hug and kiss on April 4.
"I know my son should not be dead. He didn't have anything to do with it," said a weeping Hightower.
St. Louis County police said that Tuesday afternoon, they got a call about a robbery at a Dollar General on Halls Ferry Road in North County.
According to a probable cause statement, Darrell Powell drove Javon Crawford and Adrianna Evans to the store.
Police said Crawford and Evans stole a large amount of laundry detergent from the business.
The three suspected robbers then sped off in a maroon Kia and led officers on a chase.
"Whatever was going on over there, it shouldn't have affected my family," Jerome's mom said.
Police said they tried to pull over the car and put down spike strips, but Powell refused to stop.
Investigators said the chase continued for several miles until Powell crashed into Jerome's car near Dr. Martin Luther King Drive and Cora Avenue in the Greater Ville.
The 34-year-old father, Amazon employee and lawncare service owner later died at a hospital.
Today, Jerome's family buried him.
"My son was a good guy, and he did not deserve this. He wasn't doing anything wrong," Charles Hightower said.
On Monday afternoon, several dozen family members and friends held a balloon release at the crash site in honor of 13-year-old Jeron Hightower's dad.
"My dad was a great father. He was good at everything and taught me so much. I loved him a lot," the 7th grader said.
"For my son just to be gone like that, I just don't understand it," Cynthia said.
Darrell Powell faces multiple charges including second-degree murder. He's in the St. Louis Jail.
Crawford and Evans are locked up in the St. Louis County Jail.
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