Metro

NYC driver who fatally struck toddler hit with manslaughter and homicide raps

A driver who plowed into a mother and her 3-year-old son in Manhattan — instantly killing the tot — has been indicted on manslaughter and homicide raps, officials announced Wednesday.

Jaime Sabogal, 61, was driving with a suspended license when he was behind the wheel of a Ford F-250 and made a sharp left turn into an East Harlem crosswalk, striking and killing Bertin DeJesus, who was in a stroller.

The stroller that was carrying Bertin DeJesus during the accident.
The stroller that was carrying Bertin DeJesus during the accident. G.N.Miller/N.Y. Post

“Not only was the defendant driving recklessly with no regard for pedestrians, but he did so knowing his driver’s license had been suspended,” said DA Cyrus Vance Jr. in a statement.

On Dec. 9, 2019, Sabogal turned left from 116th Street onto First Avenue at about 9:35 a.m., mowing down the pair.

The distraught mother, covered in blood, was holding her son and wailing, “Save my baby! Save my baby!” a witness told The Post at the time. The 25-year-old suffered minor injuries.

The mother and son had just left a Dunkin’ Donuts, where she had a bagel and coffee and DeJesus ate hash browns.

Sabogal, of Yonkers, faces eight counts — including second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and misdemeanor assault. If convicted on the top count, he faces up to 15 years in prison. A judge ordered him held on a $50,000 bond.

But he was already in custody after his arrest last month on an unrelated petit larceny case for allegedly stealing a USPS package from a mail cart, according to court records.

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The scene where Jaime Sabogal, 61, struck a mother pushing a stroller on 116th St in Manhattan. Sabogal has been indicted on manslaughter and homicide charges.
The scene where Jaime Sabogal, 61, struck a mother pushing her toddler in a stroller on 116th Street in East Harlem in 2019. G.N.Miller/N.Y. Post
The scene where Jaime Sabogal, 61, struck a mother pushing a stroller on 116th St in Manhattan. Sabogal has been indicted on manslaughter and homicide charges.
The mother and son had just left a Dunkin’ Donuts, when they were mowed down. G.N.Miller/N.Y. Post
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