Police say a man in a stolen minivan ran down a family in Brooklyn Wednesday afternoon, killing a 12-year-old girl and seriously injuring her 9-year-old sister and 39-year-old mother, before fleeing on foot.
The suspect, 26-year-old Robert Decarlo, turned himself in at a Brooklyn precinct station Thursday afternoon and was arrested on manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, leaving the scene of a fatal accident and other charges.
It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney. He only said "sorry" as police led him from the precinct Thursday night.
The minivan jumped a curb and hit the victims on a sidewalk on Flatlands Avenue at around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. The van also struck a fire hydrant, and at least one of the victims was pinned underneath the vehicle.
The driver ran off and witnesses ran to help the family, lifting the vehicle off one of the girls.
"It was so horrible," said Dalton Webb. "I was on the phone with 911. I was actually begging them to send the ambulance over here."
At least one witness said he chased after the driver. The suspect ran through several backyards and jumped fences before getting away.
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The minivan was reported stolen last Friday in southern Brooklyn.
The 12-year-old girl who died, Joey Sellers, was a "beautiful girl with a bright future," according to her cousin Ronald Pierre.
"This guy took it away from her and her family," he said.
