13-Year-Old Ran Over Woman While She Tried to Stop Him from Stealing Car

A Wisconsin teen who was just 13 years old when he ran over and killed a woman with her own vehicle has been sentenced to 25 years behind bars.

Jayden Adams, now 16, pleaded guilty this week to second-degree reckless homicide and taking a vehicle without consent for his role in the brutal 2021 death of 47-year-old Sunita Balogun. The incident unfolded during a failed car theft attempt in a hotel parking lot — one that turned deadly when Balogun tried to intervene.

According to prosecutors, Adams and four other teens had gone out that October night with one goal: steal a car. As they targeted a red Hyundai, Balogun pulled up in her Jeep and tried to stop them. She parked and got out to confront the group, but things quickly spiraled out of control.

One of the teens reportedly punched Balogun in the face. That’s when Adams jumped into her SUV, kicked the door into her as she lay on the ground, and then ran over her head — killing her instantly.

The horror didn’t end there. As Adams drove off with several of the teens, one of them asked, “What did you do?” His response: “I killed that lady.”

Another teen told police she screamed, “Jayden, you runned her over, there’s blood gushing out of her head,” but no one stopped to check if Balogun was still alive.

She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her stolen Jeep was recovered the next day.

Adams was initially hit with a long list of felony charges, including first-degree reckless homicide and hit-and-run resulting in death. But after accepting a plea deal, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. He’ll receive credit for the time he’s already served — but he was tried as an adult, meaning the consequences are steep.