CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 16-year-old Detroit boy is facing second-degree murder charges after a high-speed police chase ended in a crash that killed a father of two.
Daniel Canales appeared before a judge via Zoom Thursday morning and was charged as an adult following the July 12 crash that killed 28-year-old Alex Habib, a husband and father of two young children.
Watch the video report below:
Prosecutors say Canales fled an attempted stop in Roseville, reaching speeds up to 130 mph before running a red light at 11 Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue in Warren and crashing into Habib's vehicle.
"He was by far one of the greatest guys I've ever met. Nobody could say a bad thing about him," said Alex Howard, a cousin of Habib's wife.
Hear more from State lawmaker Ryle Linting in the video player below:
The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office charged Canales with second-degree murder, two counts of fleeing a police officer, operating without a license causing death, and unlawfully driving away an automobile. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
Judge Ryan Zemke denied bond for Canales, ordering him to remain in a juvenile correctional facility pending trial.
"Due to the circumstances involved here as outlined by the prosecutor, definitely give way to a serious concern for risk to the public, a serious concern for risk of flight just in the nature of the charges as they're written," Zemke said.
"He's behind bars for the time being and that's where he deserves to sit, that where he deserves to be at," Howard said. "Throughout this process, it's going to be rough and we're extremely grateful for everybody's support and everybody's standing behind us."
The fatal crash is part of a concerning trend of police pursuits ending in crashes across metro Detroit. In just the first half of July, police departments in Brighton, Roseville and Warren were all involved in high-speed chases that ended in crashes. Two of them were deadly.
June saw similar incidents, including Warren officers chasing a speeding driver into an alley that ended in a crash, and Beverly Hills police pursuing a suspect wanted in a drug deal that resulted in five people being injured in Detroit.
Watch our previous report about Alex Habib and the response from Roseville police:
In May, Warren police were involved in at least two separate chases, including one where a 71-year-old woman was killed and another where a drunken driver slammed into a house. Wyandotte officers also pursued a suspected drunken driver who crashed into a parked car.
State lawmaker Rylee Linting has introduced House Bill 4690, which calls for mandatory minimum sentences for those who flee and elude police from a 182-day minimum jail sentence for fourth-degree offenses up to a five-year minimum for first-degree offenses.
"This is a growing issue here in the state and so in the Legislature, we really need to take this seriously and start doing things to make sure that our laws are enforced, there are consequences for people's actions and that we're protecting our innocent civilians who are tragically getting caught in the crossfire," Linting said.
Hear more from state Rep. Rylee Linting in the video player below:
Linting hopes the case will raise awareness about the seriousness of fleeing from police.
"It will set an example to other young adults and just people of all ages that we must obey and respect the law, and that should be taken seriously and hopefully, it will prevent other young teens from getting themselves into the same situations," he said.
Prosecutors said a 12-year-old was a passenger in the suspect's vehicle.
That 12-year-old is being charged in juvenile court.
A GoFundMe page for Habib's family has raised over $100,000. A probable cause conference for Canales is scheduled for Monday, July 28 at 8:30 a.m.
—————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
