Mom and baby hit by teen driver flee LA: 'You don't feel safe'
Rachel joins 'America Reports' with an update after being mowed down by a teen who was sentenced to 5-7 months in juvenile prison.
The California mother who was hit by a car while walking her baby in a stroller last summer said she has left Los Angeles because the policies of liberal Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon made her fear for her family's safety.
"The state of L.A. is very sad at the moment," the mother, who has asked to be identified only as Rachel, told "America Reports" on Fox News on Wednesday.
Rachel fought for the toughest charges possible against her attacker, who was a juvenile out on probation at the time of the incident. He was ultimately charged with two counts of assault with intention to harm and one felony of hit-and-run but received a sentence of just five to seven months in juvenile probation camp — described as stricter than summer camp and less severe than military school.
LOS ANGELES HIT-AND-RUN DRIVER WHO MOWED DOWN MOM AND BABY WILL NOT GET EARLY RELEASE
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon addresses police accountability and the actions taken by his office to restore trust in the community during a press conference on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 in Los Angeles, CA. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Rachel told "America Reports" that while she was expecting a light sentence with Gascon overseeing the case, the limited jail time left her in "disbelief."
"Gascon thinks 5 to 7 months in a summer camp is fair punishment," she said. "We were coached when this happened that we shouldn’t expect anything to happen to this kid, so I guess 5 to 7 months. We are some of the lucky ones, because he is being held accountable to some extent for his actions … there's no rehabilitation taking place."
Rachel previously told Fox News Digital that the light sentences sought by Gascon for violent criminals has created "a terrifying and dangerous climate for the good citizens of Los Angeles." With crime and homelessness running rampant in the city, Rachel told host Sandra Smith that she and her family joined the droves of other fed-up Californians who've left Los Angeles.
"The entire system is pretty corrupt from George Gascon to the city councilmembers," Rachel said. "There’s this push to help everybody that’s doing wrong, but all of the good citizens are being punished simply by just living there. You know, it’s terrifying to walk your kid down the street. You go to parks, there is homeless poop. I'm waiting to find a needle half the time and walking past homeless encampments."
Boxes of signatures The Recall George Gascon campaign dropped off at the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters office. (Fox News)
"You think somebody is going to freak out and attack us when we're walking down the streets. You don’t feel safe," she continued, adding, "This push to defund the police is ridiculous."
Rachel was walking her 8-month-old son in a stroller when the young driver plowed the wrong way down a residential backstreet, speeding and under the influence before veering into her and her baby on Aug. 6, 2021, as captured by surveillance footage. Rachel suffered severe cuts on her arms, hands and shoulder and slipped three discs in her back as a result of the hit, which sent her rolling over the hood of the car. Neither suffered serious injuries, but photos showed a tire-tread-shaped bruise on the back of the child's scalp.
The driver tried to flee the scene before a good Samaritan in a pickup truck rammed him off the road. The defendant didn’t have a driver’s license at the time of the crime and was already on probation for a prior offense, felony poisoning after allegedly spiking a high school girl's drink.
Rachel, who has become the face of the campaign to recall Gascon, said she hopes the effort moves forward to prevent her experience from happening to others.
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"I think the city deserves to feel safe," she said, "and it’s never going to happen as long as he’s in office."
Fox News' Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
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