BOSTON, April 13, 2015—The Dorchester man who led Boston Police on a chase after he struck and injured a teenager last summer has been sentenced to two and a half years behind bars, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

A Dorchester Municipal Court jury on Friday found MANUEL AFONSECA (D.O.B. 9/30/81) guilty of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident causing personal injury, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident causing property damage, and failure to stop for police.

Assistant District Attorney Ryan Hawkins, who prosecuted the case at trial, recommended that Afonseca be sentenced to two years in the house of correction for leaving the scene of a personal injury followed by a consecutive term of two years for leaving the scene of property damage, for a total sentence of four years in jail.

Judge James Coffey sentenced Afonseca to two years in the house of corrections for leaving the scene of a personal injury and an additional term of six months for leaving the scene of property damage.

Hawkins presented evidence and testimony to prove that, on the evening of July 9, 2014, Afonseca was operating a red Infinity in the area of Kingsdale and Standish Streets in Dorchester when he struck a 15-year-old on a Honda scooter, badly injuring the teen.  Rather than stopping to check on the victim or summon help, the evidence showed that Afonseca instead fled in his vehicle onto Blue Hill Avenue.

Boston Police officers were flagged down by witnesses, who provided officers with the vehicle’s description and direction of flight.  Officers observed the Infinity operating at a high rate of speed and weaving in and out of marked lanes on Blue Hill Avenue.  After officers activated their cruiser’s lights and sirens, Afonseca continued driving and making multiple turns, eventually losing officers.

Additional officers soon located Afonseca as he drove the wrong way on Seaver Street before crashing into a Glenside Avenue building.

The victim was transported to Boston Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.  The scooter he was riding was destroyed by the impact of the crash.

Afonseca was represented by Kate McIntyre-Sullivan.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.