ATLANTA — The murder of a little boy resurfaced in Southeast Atlanta over the weekend.
Jamal Dean was nine years old when police say Tomasa Mendoza ran over him and kept driving. He died in the hospital. That was in Jan. of 2023.
Mendoza is still wanted.
Since his death, Dean’s father, Christopher Dean, said he has done his research on Mendoza.
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“She has family in the area. There are people that do know her that live in the area. She has a daughter in the area. The even talk. She has sons,” said Dean.
A wanted poster from Atlanta Crime Stoppers says her birth year is 1964. Police said she was driving a truck around Rosel Fann Recreational Center on Cleveland Ave. SE the night they think she hit the little boy.
Dean said his son was in the fire lane, heading into basketball practice when the truck hit him and kept going. He died in the hospital. He was nine years old.
“One day your child is here, you are getting ready for them to have a basketball tournament and, next thing you know, you got to prepare for his funeral,” said Dean.
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In August, a plaque went up inside the gym honoring the little boy.
“At the rec center, they’ve changed the protocols for dropping off and picking up since that situation,” said Dean.
His birthday wish for his son was for someone to tell police where Mendoza is hiding, but he said no one has helped close his son’s case.
“The only way his mom and I can celebrate his birthday is by going to a cemetery,” said Dean. “This woman is going to probably be getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with her family, with her kids.”
There is a $10,000 reward for the person who leads to her arrest through Crime Stoppers.
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