COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — A 17-year-old has been sentenced to at least six months in custody after violating parole related to the 2023 death of Mathew Moshi.
The teen, previously convicted of involuntary manslaughter, was apprehended in a stolen Kia near Franklin Park last month, just four months after his release. Franklin County Juvenile Court Magistrate Christopher Strefelt criticized the teen's actions, stating, “You were released under parole. By September, you were doing the same things you were put in the Department of Youth Services for.”
In December, the teen was sentenced to one year for a Thanksgiving weekend incident in which he drove a stolen Kia and crashed into Moshi's vehicle. Moshi, a father of two, succumbed to his injuries days later.
Moshi's widow, Qualitee Moshi, expressed her disappointment, saying she felt disrespected by both the teen's actions and the court system's decision to release him. “It's a complete slap in the face,” she stated.
The youth pleaded guilty two weeks ago to violating parole and related charges from the recent car theft. On Friday, the court imposed a 90-day sentence for the parole violation and a minimum of six months for the new offenses, with potential extension until his 21st birthday.
Qualitee Moshi hopes for a longer sentence, emphasizing, “I feel that if he was to be sentenced until he was at least 21, hopefully he will make decisions going into adulthood.” She further expressed hopes that the teen will learn to make better choices to prevent future tragedies.