GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Passions ran high outside of a Kent County courtroom Wednesday after the family of the teenager who was charged in a crime spree that culminated in 17-year-old Riley Doggett’s death learned he will be charged as an adult.
The teen, who News 8 will not name until he is charged as an adult, waived his right to be tried in juvenile court. He is facing two counts: receiving and concealing a stolen car and conducting a criminal enterprise.
Police: Chase that injured teen was second of night for suspected car thieves
“My son dying, no, that’s not (the teenager’s) fault. He was not behind the wheel of the vehicle that killed my son,” Doggett’s mother Becky Wilbert said. “Why are you taking this young man’s life away from him when he is not the one who caused that death?”
Authorities say that on April 8, 2024, the defendant was driving the stolen Range Rover that deputies pursued. The chase came to an end when the SUV crashed in Wyoming and the people inside ran off. As he ran, Doggett was clipped by a patrol car. He was seriously injured and died at the hospital about a month later.
Reports: Police watched group before teen hit by cruiser during chase
The defendant was a friend of Doggett’s…