Teen killed in stolen car crash was ‘never in trouble’

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Two families provide WPTV with new details about a fatal car crash in Martin County, while expressing sadness and confusion over the situation.

Three people were killed in the accident. Officials have only released the name of one person killed, Marcus Griffin, 17, of Lake Worth.

WPTV’s Ethan Stein spoke with Eric Hernandez, the mother of Enrique Hernandez, who was released from a hospital.

Griffin’s family members, who met with WPTV’s Chris Gillmore on Wednesday, said they wanted people to know he was a good boy with a bright future.

“He’s such a sweetheart,” said his mother, Meghan Gardner. “You can ask any of his friends and they would put a smile on your face. He is a sweetheart. He holds no grudges.”

Griffin was the youngest of Meghan Gardner’s six children. She visibly cries during the 14-minute conversation about her son’s death.

“I still deny it,” Gardner said. “I still don’t believe my baby is gone. I still don’t think it’s gone. I still don’t think it’s gone. I want to see my baby.”

Gardner said the last time she saw Griffin was when he was in school at Seminole Ridge High, where she said he was in the automotive program. She said police knocked on her door, told her the news and then started screaming.

Jamar Dunkley, who said he is Griffin’s brother, said he was disappointed by the reaction from people online because he said his brother was not a criminal. He believes his brother got into that vehicle after school without knowing it had been reported stolen.

“He has a family that loves him,” said Dunkley. “He’s never been in trouble before, so it’s kind of ridiculous to me to see these pointless comments online without people even knowing the full story.”

His family described Marcus as a “people person” who enjoyed skateboarding and was thrifty. They believe he got into the wrong car instead of waiting for a ride from a family member.

WPTV

“He’s a kid who grew up in Loxahatchee. He went to Seminole Ridge. He was on the weightlifting team. That’s all he did,” said Dunkley.

Unexpectedly, the family is now making funeral arrangements. It launched a GoFundMe to give him a “dignified” funeral, with the goal of raising $12,000.

“The loss not only caused emotional turmoil, but also placed a financial burden on his loved ones,” a memorial post said. “Marcus Griffin’s journey has been filled with love and longing. “His absence is an emptiness that is deeply felt by those close to him.”

The names of the two other people whose bodies were found in the St. Lucie River on Wednesday have not been released.

A Martin County Sheriff’s Office official said 18-year-old Enrique Hernandez Hernandez and a 16-year-old were released.

Erica Hernandez, who identified herself as Enrique’s mother, said he left Sunday after friends picked him up in a car. She said she received a call from him on Tuesday, the day of the crash, telling her about his arrest.

“He had an accident, that’s all he said, an accident,” Hernandez said. “He said, ‘He’s fine, I’m in the hospital,’ but nothing more. I called him and got no answer.”

She said she did not know his condition or the specific hospital where he was a patient. Hernandez also said he was leaving and not coming back because he had a girlfriend.

Investigators said the two teenagers who survived the crash could face criminal charges.