Syracuse, New York — A New York mother is facing criminal charges after prosecutors alleged she knowingly allowed her 3-year-old daughter to ride in an SUV driven by an intoxicated woman who was speeding through city streets before the vehicle became airborne and slammed into a tree.
The child, Yasmeen Shaaf, died following the July 31 crash, according to authorities and court documents.
Her mother, 27-year-old Nathalie Alejandro, was charged with criminally negligent homicide after investigators alleged she knew the driver had been drinking before allowing her children to get into the vehicle.
SUV Allegedly Traveled More Than Twice the Speed Limit
According to police allegations, Alejandro, her two children and her girlfriend, 25-year-old Jazmine Vann, got into a Kia Sorento shortly after midnight on July 31.
Vann was allegedly behind the wheel while intoxicated.
Police said Vann was driving through an area with a 30 mph speed limit at approximately 70 to 73 mph. Investigators also alleged that she ran multiple stop signs and red lights while swerving between lanes.
The situation became even more dangerous when the SUV allegedly jumped a curb. According to the criminal complaint, the vehicle became “airborne for 34 feet” before crashing into a tree.
Everyone inside the SUV was injured in the collision. Yasmeen was transported to a hospital, where the 3-year-old girl was pronounced dead.
Prosecutors Say Mother Knew Driver Was Impaired
The allegations against Alejandro focus heavily on what she allegedly knew before the family entered the SUV.
Police said Alejandro was aware that Vann had been drinking at a family gathering on the night of July 30 and was allegedly “visibly and substantially impaired by alcohol.”
Investigators further alleged that Alejandro “knowingly permitted her three-year-old child to be transported by an intoxicated operator” and “consciously failed to take reasonable measures to protect the child from known danger.”
Police also said neither child was properly restrained during the drive home. Those allegations form the basis of the criminally negligent homicide charge against Alejandro.
Girlfriend Faces 17 Felony Charges
Vann is facing a much larger collection of criminal charges stemming from the crash.
According to court records and local reports, she faces 17 felony charges, including allegations of first- and second-degree vehicular manslaughter, assault, aggravated vehicular homicide, endangering the welfare of a child, DWI and reckless driving.
Vann was initially hospitalized because of injuries sustained in the collision before being booked into the Onondaga County Justice Center. She is being held on $500,000 cash bail or a $750,000 bail bond, according to reports.
Mother Released Ahead of Further Court Proceedings
Alejandro surrendered to the Syracuse Police Department on Wednesday and appeared in court at the Onondaga County Justice Center later that day.
Because authorities said she had been cooperating with the investigation, she was granted pretrial release. The next court dates for Alejandro and Vann were not immediately available. The case has left Yasmeen’s family grieving the loss of a young child.
In a GoFundMe message, Yasmeen’s father, Mark Shaaf, described the loss as a pain no parent should have to experience.
“No parent should ever have to experience the unimaginable pain of losing a child because of someone else’s reckless decision,” he wrote.
The crash investigation and criminal proceedings will now determine what happened in the moments before the SUV left the roadway and whether the allegations against the two women can be proven in court.
What are your thoughts on the allegations in this heartbreaking case? Should knowingly allowing a child to ride with an impaired driver carry tougher consequences? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
