LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A family is shattered. A community is demanding answers. And an 8-year-old boy named Javier Adrian Ramos will never come home again.
It was just another Thursday evening near Windsor Drive in Little Rock when everything changed. Around 8:30 p.m. on May 21, Little Rock Police Department officers were called to the area for a reported traffic collision. When they arrived, they found a young child suffering from serious injuries. He was rushed to a nearby hospital — but the damage was beyond what anyone could survive.
Doctors told Javier’s heartbroken mother, Lisbeth Lajuj, the full extent of what her son had suffered. “My son did not deserve to die like this. No child deserves to die like this. I ask for justice,” she said.
Javier passed away in the early hours of Friday morning.
What made the tragedy even harder to bear — the driver didn’t stop. They didn’t call for help. They just left.
But investigators weren’t giving up. Detectives worked with the Real-Time Crime Center and were able to identify 19-year-old Saniyah Mallett as a suspect. She was located along with her vehicle and taken into custody.
Mallett now faces charges of manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. Records show she is currently held at the Pulaski County Regional Detention Center without bond.
Javier’s grandfather, Raemundo, said that while nothing can bring his grandson back, he wants the person responsible to be fully held accountable.
The investigation remains ongoing.
This is a developing story. We will update as more information becomes available.
