Man to serve 1-year sentence at home after hit-and-run that killed 7-year-old Ukrainian refugee
Juan Manuel Becerra Garcia, the 46-year-old man who struck and killed a seven-year-old Ukrainian refugee with his car before speeding away, will serve a one-year sentence in his home.
Seven-year-old Mariia Legenkovska was walking to school with her brother and sister in south-central Montreal on Dec. 13, 2022, when Becerra Garcia hit her with his car.
Becerra Garcia turned himself in to police later that day. He pleaded guilty in May for charges related to failing to stop after the accident.
He has also been prohibited from driving for two years.
Mariia and her family moved to Montreal in 2022 to escape the Russian invasion of their country.
Her father, Andrii Legenkovska, was fighting for Ukraine's territorial defence forces when she was killed, and he travelled to Montreal from the front lines to bury his daughter.
Superior Court Justice Pierre Labelle called the incident profoundly tragic. He said Becerra Garcia is likely not to re-offend and is not a danger to the public.
Mariia fled the war in Ukraine and was only in Canada for a few months before she was hit.
Speaking to journalists after the sentencing, Becerra Garcia said he regretted his actions and had written a letter to the girl's family.
