KENT, Wash. — A 16-year-old who allegedly struck and killed a Kent man during a car chase in July now faces charges of second-degree murder and vehicular homicide in the man's death.
The suspect, identified as Atreyu Batts in court documents, pleaded not guilty Monday to all seven felony charges he faces in adult court related to the crash.
Batts was already involved in the juvenile justice system for separate incidents that took place before the July 13 crash. He was on electronic home detention for a previous car theft up until a few days before the deadly accident, according to the Kent Police Department.
By the time Kent police identified the teen as the suspect, they found out he was in juvenile detention for a separate incident.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office asked for $500,000 bail in the teen's case, calling his "callousness and lack of any remorse" for his actions "appalling." A judge granted the bail amount.
"Anything less than secure detention will not be successful in protecting the community from the serious public safety risk that he poses," charging documents stated.
Batts violated other conditions placed on him in juvenile court on multiple occasions. Prosecutors said his parents expressed concern to a judge about their son's "escalating behavior and refusal to follow the court's orders," according to documents.
The owner of a stolen car called Kent police just before midnight on July 12 to report she had found the vehicle driving in the area of 23000 100th Avenue Southeast. Just after midnight, Kent police located the car and activated their emergency sirens, signaling for the driver to pull over.
Instead, the driver accelerated, hitting a speed of 80 miles per hour in a 35-mile-per-hour zone, according to court documents.
The car continued onto the 26200 block of 104th Avenue Southeast and struck the left rear of a vehicle while attempting to make a left turn. The back end of the car was completely torn off. The driver of that car, identified as 41-year-old Alizar Kachiyev, later died of injuries sustained during the crash.
The stolen vehicle came to rest about 300 feet from the point of impact and caught on fire. The suspected driver and two passengers fled the scene on foot, while one person remained behind. A 14-year-old girl was identified as the remaining passenger. She had sustained a broken leg in the collision.
Data from the car indicated the driver was traveling at a speed of 99 miles per hour and accelerating just five seconds before the collision. The car was traveling 103 miles per hour at impact. Investigators discovered the stolen vehicle's ignition was completely torn apart so the car could be started without a key.
The parents of Batts called 911 later that month to report they believed their son was involved in the collision. The suspect's father said his son called him shortly after midnight on July 13 from a number he did not recognize to say he and his friends had been in a car accident and they needed to be picked up. The suspect's father recalled picking up his son and two other boys in the area of 108th Avenue Southeast - one street to the east of the collision, according to court documents.
When Batts' father asked him about the crash, he reported being the back seat passenger in his friend's car, and that they were "going really fast," according to court documents.
Law enforcement was able to identify two of the other passengers in the car at the time of the collision, confirming Batts was driving at the time.
'A void words cannot explain'
In the courtroom Monday, Alizar Kachiyev's widow, brother and 15-year-old daughter addressed the court to share the impact his death has had on their family.
"My dad was the smartest, strongest person I knew," his daughter told Judge David Keenan.
Kachiyev's daughter described him as a skilled home renovator and mechanic, who was going to teach her how to work on cars before his death. She said he was a kind person who always donated to charity.
"My dad's death has left a void in our lives that words cannot explain," Kachiyev's daughter said.
She showed a picture of her father's face in the hospital, with extensive injuries and a tube coming from his mouth. Kachiyev had to be intubated, he had fractures to his ribs, spine and pelvis, his daughter said. Brain scans showed diminishing brain activity until he was officially declared brain-dead two days after the crash.
The father of the suspect appeared in court on Monday, reiterating his concerns that his calls for help in the juvenile courts fell on deaf ears - and remorse that his son's actions led to someone's death.
Atreyu Batts' father, Avery, said earlier in July he had requested that his son remain on electronic home monitoring but it was removed. Two days later, Atreyu Batts was implicated in the fatal crash that took Alizar Kachiyev's life.
"I am truly sorry for the loss of someone's dad, uncle, brother, husband," Avery Batts told the judge. "As a family, we are broken as well."
Avery Batts said he and his family asked for services for Atreyu, but what was provided by the court was not enough to get through to his son.
"I told the court, don't let him out of his ankle monitor," Avery Batts said. "There has to be some form of accountability - because we've tried."
Avery Batts said he mentioned in a previous juvenile court hearing that his son was a threat to public safety.
"I don't want to have to bury my child," Avery Batts said. "And little did I know that a family out here was going to have to bury theirs."