Mother of Suspect Believes Her Daughter Was In Church
UPDATE 02/21/2013: The Boulder County District Attorney's office has dropped charges against a Longmont teen originally accused of killing 16-year-old Jason Grimmer on New Years Eve.
A thorough examination, coupled with forensic analysis and information provided by the Colorado Department of Investigation, helped investigators and police to conclude that Kendra Balentine, 18, was not involved in the death in Grimmer.
Police arrested the primary suspect in a New Year's Eve hit and run case in Longmont last Thursday. 18 year old Kendra Rae Balentine was arrested on suspicion of leaving the scene of a fatal accident, a third degree felony. The crash left 16-year-old Jason Grimmer dead with "massive head trauma."
Officers are "confident that we have the right person," despite the suspect's mother and pastor vehemently refuting the claims that Kendra Balentine was involved in the incident. Stephanie Balentine, Kendra's mother, indicated that "my daughter did not kill the young man, and her car could not have been there."
"I am just praying to God police do the right thing," the elder Balentine added. "She never had contact with the police. She is not a bad young lady. She was in freakin' church. That is what really gets me. It ain't like she was out running the streets on New Years Eve." She pleaded.
Additionally, the family's pastor at Messiahville Baptist Church, Cory Seulean, agreed with Balentine's mother and supported her claim that Kendra did not leave the church.
"I did not see her leave. As far as I know, she didn't leave. Nobody thinks she left," Seulean said. "She was in the building with us playing games. She was there whole time."
However, Longmont Police Cmdr. Jeff Satur noted that investigators believe Balentine did attend the church services, but at one point during the event left and eventually returned. They are also not disregarding pastor and suspect's mother's claims.
"We are not discounting it. We are investigating it. It is not going on deaf ears."
Officers initially responded to call at approximately 10 p.m. New Years Eve regarding a crash and injured person on the road. Police found Gimmer unconscious and were unable to revive him. He was apparently running away from a nearby altercation. An autopsy is expected to reveal a more detailed picture of his injuries, including whether he was struck multiple times by a vehicle.
If you are injured in a hit and run accident, you need to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney. If you live in the greater Denver metro area, call The Law offices of Robert Paysinger, P.C. today for a free initial consultation. We help injured people - it's all we do!
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