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Blog site wrongly claims Muslim woman escaped punishment in aggravated vehicular homicide
A conservative blog falsely claimed that a Muslim woman recently escaped punishment after striking and killing a 7-month-old baby with her car.
The problem with that headline? The crash actually occurred June 2, 2016, and the driver received three years in prison and a lifetime suspension on her license, according to local reports.
"Burka clad woman runs over baby, gets away with crime for 1 stunning reason," said a June 12, 2018, headline from Daily Headlines, a website offering "unapologetic news (and) commentary from a conservative perspective," according to the about section of its Facebook page. On its website, Daily Headlines said it is neither satire nor "fake news."
Facebook flagged this story as part of its efforts to combat false news and misinformation on Facebook's News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
Citing a Nov. 22, 2017, article from America Now, a blog site, the story said a Somali native drove her car off the road and into a house, injuring a man and killing his child in what was her second car accident in four days. The man was walking his son in a stroller.
"After 2 car accidents in 4 days, one of which injured a father and took the life of his 7-month old baby before the car drove into a house, a Somali native has been arrested, charged, and convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide and was then let free to roam around until her sentencing hearing," the story said, adding that the woman, Muhuba Mohamed of Columbus, Ohio, was driving on a temporary permit at the time of the accident.
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But according to local reports from the Columbus Dispatch and others, Mohamed was not set free following the crash. After a judge found her guilty of aggravated vehicular homicide on Oct. 5, 2017, Mohamed surrendered her passport and remained free on bond while she awaited sentencing, which occurred Nov. 29, 2017.
Mohamed’s bond was set at $10,000, according to court records.
Judges often set criminal defendants free on bond as a means of securing their agreement to return to court for their remaining criminal proceedings. In this case, Mohamed returned to court for sentencing, where she received three years in prison and a lifetime license suspension.
So yes, Mohamed was able to "roam around until her sentencing hearing," so to speak. But she surrendered her passport and was bound to return to court by a high bond. She also did not get away with her crime, as the Daily Headlines headline falsely stated. (Daily Headlines did not respond to a request for comment submitted via the contact page on their website.)
We rate this statement False.
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Our Sources
Daily Headlines, "Burka Clad Woman Runs Over Baby, Gets Away With Crime For 1 Stunning Reason," June 12, 2018
America Now, "Immigrant Hits, Kills Baby With Car," November 22, 2017
Franklin County Clerk of Courts, Criminal Case Detail for case number 16 CR 004257, August 5, 2016
The Columbus Dispatch, "Driver convicted of recklessly causing death of 7-month-old boy in stroller," October 6, 2017
The Columbus Dispatch, "Woman gets 3 years in prison for crash that killed baby in stroller," November 29, 2017
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Blog site wrongly claims Muslim woman escaped punishment in aggravated vehicular homicide
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