Independence man who fled toddler shooting charged with leaving crash site: police
An Independence man, who allegedly fled the scene of a shooting that killed a toddler last week, has been charged with leaving the site of a crash he caused minutes after, prosecutors said.
Ashton Cleveland, 23, was charged with the felony for leaving the crash location Friday near East Truman and North Noland roads, according to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Witnesses said Cleveland’s car failed to stop at a red light and struck another vehicle, which then hit a utility box, according to charging documents. That vehicle was totaled and one person inside it had a concussion.
Minutes before the crash, Cleveland allegedly fled from 557 S. Glenwood Avenue, where he had been visiting friends, after a 2-year-old child was shot in the head, according to a detective with the Independence Police Department.
A witness at the house told police that the toddler grabbed Cleveland’s gun, which was on Cleveland’s lap. It discharged, striking the child in the head. The toddler was taken to, and later died at, Children’s Mercy.
Officers were told Cleveland also had the gun on his lap in the presence of a 5-year-old child, according to charging documents.
Cleveland left Missouri, securing a ride through Lyft to Omaha, Nebraska, police said. He was arrested by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office there for trying to break into a vehicle, court records allege. He has been charged with theft in Nebraska and the sheriff’s office is working with investigators in Missouri, The Associated Press reported.
As of Wednesday, Cleveland did not have an attorney listed in public court records who could be reached for comment.
It was initially reported that the child was struck by a bullet from a drive-by shooting. Later that evening, though, investigators determined that was not the case.
Mike Mansur, a spokesman for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, said the case remains under investigation for possible additional charges.
The Star’s Anna Spoerre contributed to this report.
Gun violence is the subject of a statewide journalism project The Star is undertaking in Missouri this year in partnership with the national service program Report for America and sponsored in part by Missouri Foundation for Health.
As part of this project, The Star will seek the community’s help. To contribute, visit Report for America online at reportforamerica.org.
This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 10:12 AM.
