New Jersey father convicted of leaving son to die after crashing getaway car

Cydney Henderson | The Republic | azcentral.com

A New Jersey man was found guilty of killing his child Wednesday after authorities say he crashed a getaway car carrying his two-year-old son and left him to die.

Prosecutors say 28-year-old Christopher Kuhn brought his son with him while attempting to shoplift last October at a Walmart in Pennsylvania.

He fled the scene with two-year-old Qadan Trievel in tow, ending in a deadly multiple-vehicle crash.

“I am here to speak for 2-year-old Qadan,” Deputy District Attorney Robert D. James told the judge presiding over the trial. “A 2-year-old boy who is not here to speak for himself due to the malicious acts of his own father.”

What happened?

A Walmart security guard told police that Kuhn was pushing his son in a shopping cart and attempted to leave the store without paying for a $228 sound speaker, according to court documents.

Police say Kuhn blew through a red light in the getaway car, hitting another vehicle and rolling over in the process, according to a statement from the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.

The toddler was ejected from the car during the crash and fractured his skull, the statement adds.

His father did not come to his rescue. Instead, court documents say Kuhn ran.

“After the collision, Kuhn paced briefly near his son’s motionless body, then took off running as police approached,” the statement said.

Police caught up to Kuhn and took him into custody.

When asked where his child was, he told officers “back there,” referring to the scene of the accident, court documents state.

The two-year-old was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

'...it was malicious'

A Bucks County Common Pleas Court Judge found Kuhn guilty of murder Wednesday shortly after closing arguments concluded an emotional three-day trial.

“Everything that went on that day was not just a tragedy, as the defense portrayed it, but it was malicious,” Deputy District Attorney James said in a statement after the verdict. “I obviously agree with the judge’s decision.”

Kuhn was also found guilty of ten other charges, according to the statement.

The charges include homicide by vehicle, driving under the influence of controlled substances and failure to use safety restraints on a child.

Kuhn faces up to 40 years behind bars for the murder conviction alone.

He will be sentenced June 15th.

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