WIXOM, Mich. – A man who pleaded guilty to killing a 14-year-old boy in a Wixom hit-and-run crash returned to court Thursday to be sentenced.
Miguel Ibarra Cerda was sentenced to five to 15 years in connection with the death of Justin Lee.
Lee's mother poured out her heart in court, and it even brought Cerda to tears.
"I cried out to God many times, 'Why did you take my son away from me?'" Patricia Warner Lee said.
Her son was riding his bicycle on Potter Road in Wixom when he was struck by Cerda, who never stopped, according to authorities.
"A precious and kind and loving and caring person was taken away from us," Lee said.
She said she remembers the last conversation she had with her son before the crash.
"He said, 'I love you so much, Mama,' and we just held each other for a few minutes," Lee said. "If I had known at the time that that was the last time I would see him, I would have never let him go."
Her son was taken to the same hospital where Lee worked as a respiratory therapist.
"I'll never forget seeing his dead body laying on the table, and I can never go back to that job again," Lee said.
"The worst part is that you just drove away," she said to Cerda.
Cerda started sobbing and then spoke through a translator. He said he wishes it could all be different and that he was scared and didn't know what to do when the crash happened.
You can watch the full sentencing below: