A mother has been charged with Criminally Negligent Homicide for running over her three-year-old son, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced today.
Lexus Stagg, 26, is seen on apartment complex surveillance video driving straight into her son in broad daylight, though she initially told police she thought she hit a speed bump when she was going in reverse.
The DA's office said Stagg put her 2006 Lincoln Navigator into drive and drove forward when her three young children were running toward the front of the vehicle. She struck one child, her three-year-old, with the front of the SUV. The child was caught under the right tire after the initial impact.
Stagg continued to drive forward and ran over the child again with the back right tire of the vehicle, which weights approximately 5,600 pounds.
As a result of the injuries, the child died.
“Every parent has an obligation to protect their children, even from themselves,” said Ogg said. “Car’s aren’t toys and playing chicken with your kids isn’t a game.”
Stagg was arrested Thursday and appeared in probable cause court Friday morning. Prosecutors requested she be held on $50,000 bail. It was set by the magistrate at $1,500.
Stagg faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
She is being prosecuted by the Vehicular Crimes Division of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
“You should be playing Peek-A-Boo with a three-year-old instead of forcing him to try and dodge a 5,600 pound deadly weapon,” said Sean Teare, chief of the Vehicular Crimes Division.