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A 15 year old boy has been charged for knocking down and killing 8 year old Gabriela Corrales. Yesterday afternoon around 3:44, the Our Lady of Guadalupe School student was heading home when she was run over and crushed on a pedestrian ramp near the school. Courtney Weatherburne has the story.

This morning at OLOG, Gabriela Corrales’ classmates paid their respects by pinning posters with well wishes and farewell’s on the front gate. Counsellors also spoke with them and other students to help cope with Gabby’s tragic death.

Little Gabby was riding her bicycle in the parking lot behind Dakers, she kept riding until she stopped by the taxi stand and then as she was crossing the pedestrian ramp, the vehicle ran her over, crushing her little body. The driver of the vehicle stopped near the Isidoro Beaton Stadium. An eyewitness told us what he saw.

Voice of Eyewitness
"I saw a grey Land Cruiser, I just like the back of it when it ran over the girl, just that part, I didn't see the initial hit, well that's what I saw and from stuff that I saw he wasn't speeding, he was just following the flow of the traffic. From what I gathered after, it looked like two of them were hesitating and both of them took off the same time and he was a bit like away from the speed bump. Both of them were hesitating to move and then when both of them moved, I guess he hit her from the side I would imagine and then the front wheel ran over her first, then the rear wheel."

Courtenay Weatherburne
"The picture I saw, they also said he reverse, I don't know if that happened."

Voice of Eyewitness
"Well, I'm not sure. I ran towards it and then I saw the vehicle was leaving but then he stopped and then there was a lot of people around yelling after him and stuff and I think, I'm not sure, he reversed a bit but he stayed on the scene the whole time."

Passers-by crowded the scene and our information is that traffic officers responded quickly and took Gabby to the hospital. She was still breathing on her way but she died shortly after arriving at the hospital. That’s when Gabby’s mom got the news.

Ana Ramirez - Mother
"I received a phone call from my brother in law, I was at work when it happened and he called, all he told me was that they needed me to come to the hospital because gabby was there but we don't know, that is what he said, we don't know what is happening, what is wrong with her. So, I just left, I told my boss that I needed to leave because I had received a phone call that my daughter was at the hospital.  I went to the hospital, I was very nervous, I was worried of so many things in my head in that moment and I was praying to god and hoping that this was nothing serious. When finally I was allowed to enter the emergency room, I met with a doctor and the doctor said, Miss, I will show you what we received. I will show you your daughter just the way she came, I just tried; I did whatever I was able to do. I tried by best but unfortunately, I need to tell you, your daughter has passed away."

A 15 year old boy has been charged with manslaughter by negligence among other charges. He was arraigned this afternoon and was released on $10,000 bail. Ramirez says that the boy’s family has shown remorse and have offered to help but really, all Ramirez and her family want is justice for her little Gabby.

Ana Ramirez
"The father of the child is broken as well and I spoke to him, we spoke last night and I guess they were thinking that I would retaliate against them, that is something that of course I wouldn't do. He keeps asking me to accept his support and he asks that anything I need I should inform him and he will take care of the situation but I also want him to understand, I told him to understand that at this point I cannot think anything, I cannot be the one to take that as to tell him whatever I need. I just feel that I need my baby back.  I ask the police and the prosecutor and last night I was there and I said sir, all I am asking for is that justice gets done because you need to look at the fact that this is a minor who shouldn't have been driving. Careless parents, careless boy but again, the father says he did not know that the boy was out, so that is all I ask. I also asked him because he spoke to me and asked me to have mercy on his son, to forgive his son. I explained to him that I have nothing to forgive him, god will deal with that but I told him that, all I ask for him to do is to leave the child to be penalized for what he did. So I said just leave him to have the law do what they're supposed to do and that's all I'm asking. Because if it doesn't happen here, then it will happen to someone else and I said this is a lesson that could be for him, for the child, for the family and for many people out there who are driving without driver’s license or maybe without having the proper age, the right age for being behind a steering wheel."

Gabby would have turned 9 next week Tuesday and Ramirez told us of the surprise birthday trip she had planned.

Ana Ramirez
"I have plane ticket which I had purchased, I was taking her to Houston, I did not tell her because I wanted to surprise her. The friend that I was visiting there, she was already making preparations for a surprise birthday party. She picked the cake that she wanted Sunday night and I sent the picture to my friend and I said this is the cake that she wants. She had always been asking me for a unicorn cake for her 9th birthday. Unfortunately, it will not happen. She was bundle of joy, the most friendly child I had ever seen and not because she was my daughter but many people and this is one of the things somehow comforts me because I heard people yesterday, many people came to the hospital, people whom I don't even know and they came and said gabby was so friendly, gabby would see us out there and she would be hi, hello. She was very outspoken, she wasn't afraid to tell you what she wanted to tell you and that was here, always happy, trying to make everyone happy."