14-Year-Old Texas Boy Killed By Car, Passenger Charged With Murder

A 14-year-old Texas boy was struck and killed while walking to school — and now the passenger in the car that hit him is charged with murder.

Shortly before 8 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 6, Jonathan Ayala was walking to school in the East Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas when a car left the road and struck him, Dallas police said in a statement.

Jonathan was walking in the grass near the intersection of Marsalis Avenue and Ledbetter Drive when he was struck, police said.

After further investigation, police said they learned that passenger James Grant, 47, allegedly got into an argument with the driver as they were traveling south on Marsalis Avenue.

“Grant began fighting with the driver and assaulted him,” the statement said.

As the car headed east on Ledbetter, “Grant reached toward the driver, causing the car to veer off the road and strike the teenager who was walking in the grass,” police said in the release.

Grant allegedly stole property from the driver and fled the scene, the statement said.

The driver called 911, stopped and remained at the scene. Jonathan was rushed to a local hospital where he died.

Later that day, officers located Grant, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, “in the act of committing a crime that resulted in the death of the teenager,” police said in the statement.

He was also arrested for allegedly violating his parole conditions, according to online prison records.

The investigation is ongoing.

Want to stay up to date with the latest crime news? Sign up for PEOPLETrue Crime’s free newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Grant remains in custody at the Dallas County North Tower Jail on $750,000 bail, online jail records show.

It is unclear whether he has retained a lawyer who could comment on his behalf.

As Grant awaits his next court date, Jonathan’s family mourns the loss of the boy described as a “bright, kind soul,” according to Elias Ayala, who launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for his younger brother’s funeral.

“Jonathan’s infectious laughter and boundless enthusiasm brought joy to everyone he met,” Elias wrote. “His absence has left an irreplaceable void in our lives, and we are struggling to cope with the immense grief of losing such a precious member of our family.”

Jonathan was a student at Boude Storey Middle School, the Dallas Independent School District confirmed, CBS News reports.

The school is located a few blocks from where Jonathan was struck.