Thank you for reading Baltimore Witness.
Help us continue our mission into 2025 by donating to our end of year campaign.
By
Andrew Michaels
- October 17, 2024
Court
|
Daily Stories
|
Homicides
|
Suspects
|
Victims
|
A 27-year-old Florida man is expected to plead guilty to vehicular manslaughter for a fatal car crash in September 2023 that killed Ericka Allysia McRae and injured another woman.
On Oct. 17, a Baltimore City prosecutor informed Circuit Court Judge Dana M. Middleton that Jabari Belizairo has agreed to an offer of 10 years, suspending all but four years, for grossly negligent vehicular manslaughter and a consecutive three years suspended for causing life threatening injuries while under the influence of alcohol in addition to three years of supervised probation.
The Orlando, Fl., resident will also be required to have interlocking devices on all registered vehicles, complete an alcohol treatment program, have an alcohol restriction on his driver’s license and complete 50 hours of community service.
The prosecutor said Belizairo is currently on home detention, but would be incarcerated under the terms of his plea.
According to court documents, Belizairo was under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content of 0.183 when he ran a red light and struck McRae’s 2004 white Cadillac CTS on the front passenger’s door at approximately 82mph in a 30mph zone at the intersection of Pratt Street and Fulton Avenue. Both McRae’s vehicle and the defendant’s 2018 white BWM 540i then crashed into a nearby building as well as three unoccupied cars.
The crash occurred just after 3 a.m. on Sept. 5, 2023. McRae was taken to Shock Trauma, where she died from her injuries about 40 minutes after the crash. A passenger inside Belizairo’s vehicle also suffered a broken leg and received treatment at the same hospital.
In the report, police and medics at the scene noted a “strong odor of alcohol” coming from the defendant’s breath and person.
During Thursday’s hearing, the prosecutor noted that the victim’s family disagreed with the plea offer in regards to the manslaughter charge; however, they would have the opportunity to speak at Belizairo’s plea hearing.
Defense attorney Karyn Meriwether said that she was currently looking into a treatment program as well as another program that would allow Belizairo to speak about the dangers of impaired driving as part of his community service. Both attorneys requested a December date to move forward with the plea to give them time to finalize these programs.
Judge Middleton scheduled the plea hearing for Dec. 12 before Judge Jeffrey M. Geller.