Family members identified two of the four teenagers who died when a stolen car crashed into a tree in Glenarden, Maryland, Friday evening.
Cousins Serenity Sellman, 15, and Dartrel Byers, 17, were together when two other teens picked them up up in a stolen Kia Sorento about 7 p.m. Friday.
According to family members, they got into the Kia not knowing the car had been stolen in a carjacking earlier that day in Greenbelt.
“Absolutely not,” said Serenity’s godmother, Latasha Hamilton. “Serenity was picked up from here, her house. Her stepdad released her, and had he known that car was stolen, she again would not have entered that car and probably still — well, not probably — but would have been here today.”
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Losing Serenity and Dartrel leaves the family grieving and struggling to accept what happened, Hamilton said.
“Honestly, words cannot describe what it has done to us,” she said. “We are totally crushed. We don’t know. We’re at a loss for words, completely. I mean, they were innocent babies. They were babies. No one was grown that was in that car. No one.”
The carjacking victim said five suspects approached him on Edmonston Court just before 1 a.m. Friday and demanded the keys to his car. One of them had a long gun. The victim said he threw the keys and ran.
Prince George's County
Prince George's County, Maryland, news updates, events and information
Prince George’s County police say they spotted the car at Lottsford Road and Palmetto Drive about 7:30 p.m. Friday. An officer began a pursuit, but when the officer lost sight of the car, the officer disengaged, police said.
A witness told police the car passed them on the shoulder about four minutes later before crashing into a tree on Woodmore Road.
“We’re just ready for the correct facts,” Hamilton said. “We want answers. We want to know exactly what happened to her.”
Prince George’s County police have not identified any of the teens at this point. It’s unclear who was driving.
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