For months, a Tacoma mother has asked how could her son be left behind at the scene of a car crash.

Wednesday, the Pierce County prosecutor blamed 19-year-old Daniel Perez

When Perez walked into court, it all came rushing back to Doris Jackson; that sick feeling she had 4 months ago.

"I'm still angry for what he did to Donny," she said.

She's angry that Perez never bothered to tell police that her son, 15-year-old Donny, was in the car Perez just wrecked. Police say because they didn't know he was in the car, they never looked for Donny.

Mother's intuition told Doris her son was in trouble. She repeatedly called 911 on a hunch.

"I said. 'My son was in an accident' and I felt like no one took me for my word and all they had to do was look underneath the car."

It wasn't until five hours after the crash that the tow truck driver pulling the car from the accident scene found Donny's body.

"It was all about Daniel that day," says Doris.

Police say after repeated calls from Doris, they asked Perez if Donny was in the car and say he denied it. That's why prosecutors are now charging Perez with vehicular homicide.

He pleaded not guilty.

"None of us wanted something so traumatic to happen, it's just too much," says Patricia Perez.

Patricia Perez wanted to be in court to support her son. Prosecutors say Perez tried to run from the scene, but neighbors made him stay.

"I have the same questions she has what happened cause I wasn't there, it's hard 'cause Daniel doesn't remember a lot of it," says Daniel's mom.

"No matter what they do to Daniel Perez my son is still in heaven I'm still coming home to an empty house," says Donny's mom.

Jackson says she didn't have the strength to face Perez in court Wednesday, but wants his family to know she wants what her son would have wanted -- not revenge, but someone held accountable.

After the crash, Perez told police he realized he couldn't stop in time for a stop sign, so he chose to race thru the intersection -- triggering the fatal crash.

We've learned the wrecked car belonged to a neighbor.

Perez's mother says her son was house sitting for the neighbor, when her son, Donny and two other boys found her car keys and took the car for a joy ride.

"My son didn't intend to hurt anyone, they were just going for a ride," says Patricia Perez.

For More Information:

Feb. 23, 2005 -- Original Story On Donny's Crash