Car Thief, 14, Sentenced to 15 Years in Girls' Death

Alexis Flynn died at just 9-years-old.

Her killer, identified as Marcus Ortiz, who broke into the Nickerson House Community Center and stole the keys to a van, ended up crashing the vehicle into an oncoming car on Route 10. He was 14.

The car he smashed into was driven by Stephanie Flynn, who, along with two other minor passengers, were seriously injured in the crash. Alexis, who's life had barely begun, died as a result of the crash.

Her family will mourn Alexis' passing for the rest of their lives. And yesterday, they learned that Ortiz will spend at least eight years in prison under a 15-year sentence handed down by Family Court Judge Kathleen Voccola after he pleaded no contest to charges of reckless driving death resulting, reckless driving serious bodily injury, larceny over $500, breaking and entering and leaving the scene of an accident.

In a release, Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin said Ortiz will begin his sentence at the Rhode Island Training School until a modification hearing near his 18th birthday when a Family Court Judge will determine if the sentence should be modified or continued to be served at the Adult Correctional Institutions.

"The modification hearing must be held 30 days prior to the 18th birthday of the juvenile. Under certification, Ortiz is convicted and the sentence will extend into adulthood," Kilmartin said.

Police said Ortiz broke into the Nickerson House Community Center shortly before 3 p.m. on Sept. 25. He drove down Manton Avenue and sideswiped a vehicle before driving away.

The car that was sideswiped followed Ortiz as he drove along Hartford Avenue and into the Olneyville section of Providence. The occupants of the car following Ortiz flagged a passing Providence Police cruiser and told the officer what happened. 

Police then began to pursue the van as it entered Route 10 from Westminster Street. Ortiz then sideswiped a second vehicle, which caused him to lose control of the van, cross the median into oncoming traffic and smash into the Flynn's vehicle head-on.

Ortiz has been held at the Training School since October.