A Racine teen accused of crashing into two pedestrians with a stolen car he was driving was in court Tuesday and is being held on a $300,000 bond.
Isiah DeGroot, 17, of Racine, was charged by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office with 27 felony counts, including driving a car without the owner’s consent, two counts of hit and run-great bodily harm, receiving a stolen firearm, and possession of marijuana. If convicted of all charges, DeGroot faces up to 204 years in prison and/or fines up to $560,000.
According to the criminal complaint, a deputy with the Racine County Sheriff’s Department attempted to stop a 2001 Toyota Sequoia because the license plate did not match the vehicle. DeGroot was later identified as the driver. When he turned left and went northbound on Newman Road, the deputy followed him and activated the emergency siren on her unmarked squad.
DeGroot then made another left into the Kohl’s parking lot and the deputy terminated the pursuit because the parking lot was busy. But DeGroot continued at a high rate of speed before losing control of the vehicle and struck Racine County residents Cheryl L. Coopman, 47, and Jeffery J. Coopman, 53.
Cheryl’s left arm and leg were cut completely off. Jeffery’s leg and pelvis were broken. The deputy, other bystanders, and an officer from the Mount Pleasant Police Department rendered first aid until rescue could arrive. The couple remains in critical, but stable condition at Froedtert Memorial Hospital.
DeGroot fled the scene on foot and was found in laying in the weeds in the 600 block of South Emmertsen Road after police searched the area. While being taken into custody, he admitted that he was driving the Toyota. Police later determined that it had been stolen out of Milwaukee.
Inside the vehicle, police found two glass jars of marijuana and a ziplock bag of marijuana that totaled about 95 grams, and a stolen 9mm handgun.
A preliminary hearing has been set for 8:30 a.m. Jan. 24 in Racine County felony court.
DeGroot was out on bond from a case that happened in November. He was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety (party to a crime). If convicted of all charges, Degroot faces up to 38 years three months in prison and/or fines up to $85,000. This case is still pending.