Family reacts to boy's accidental death in stolen car, starting at Gillette Stadium concert – Boston 25 News

WRENTHAM, Massachusetts – A man charged in connection with a crash involving a stolen SUV on Route 1 in Plainville that killed a 10-year-old boy over the weekend appeared in court Monday.

Michael Escolas, 42, of Oxford, was arraigned in Wrentham District Court on charges that include involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence and auto theft, according to Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey.

Escolas was held on $100,000 bail, ordered not to have contact with the victim's family or witnesses, not to drink alcohol, to use a 911 device three times a day, and not to drive without a valid Massachusetts driver's license.

The family of 10-year-old Jaylen Bush-Victorian called Escolas a “murderer” as he left Wrentham County Courthouse in handcuffs.

The victim’s relatives sobbed quietly on three church pews.

“He was a good boy, he was so happy, he was a beautiful child, he was loved and adored by everyone,” said the victim's grandmother.

Escolas is accused of stealing a Jeep Cherokee belonging to a Vermont couple who had parked the vehicle in the P10 parking lot in front of Gillette Stadium to attend the Kenny Chesney concert on Saturday night.

According to investigators, Escolas then drove the Jeep into a Nissan Altima with a Rhode Island license plate, which was occupied by a family of six, consisting of a mother, father and their four children.

Escolas and all six family members were taken to nearby hospitals, where a 10-year-old boy succumbed to his injuries.

According to investigators, the Nissan was at a traffic light on Route 1 near the intersection with Interstate 495 at the time of the accident.

According to investigators, Escolas admitted to drinking whiskey in the parking lot from 1 p.m. until the evening. They said he did not go to the concert, but walked to another parking lot and stole a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a key inside.

According to the indictment, this is an excerpt from a recorded telephone conversation between Escolas and his wife:

Escolas: “Still, still one too many, one too many. Screwed up… It's your car.”

Wife: “Hmm, you have the car? I really don’t know…”

Escolas: “I will find out what I did”

Officials said when they asked Escolas where he was from, he said he was from a pizza place in Millbury. Only when they pointed to a seating wristband he was wearing did he say he was at the concert.

“He must stay in prison, we want him to be held accountable,” said the victims’ grandmothers.

According to investigators, this is the second time Escolas has been charged with drunk driving, but he was not convicted in the first case.

His defense attorney said he had lived in Oxford all his life, had three children under the age of 20, and worked as a manager in a car repair shop.

Massachusetts State Police officers on duty at the Chesney concert arrived at the scene of the accident.

“Your child is no longer here to raise him, to watch him continue to grow and just become the beautiful soul that he is,” the victim's family said.

They did not want to comment further outside of court.

“We are deeply saddened and extend our sincere condolences to the family who tragically lost a loved one,” Gillette Stadium spokeswoman Stacey James said in a statement. “We are working with the Massachusetts State Police, who are conducting the investigation under the jurisdiction of the Norfolk District Attorney's Office, to understand the circumstances of this tragic event.”

Morrissey's office noted that three other cars were involved in accidents after the fatal collision, and that the occupants of those cars did not require medical transport.

“Dealing with this chaotic scene and evacuating seven people to area hospitals required the assistance and involvement of many partner agencies,” Morrissey said in a statement. “Plainville Police and Massachusetts State Police were assisted by fire and rescue personnel from Plainville, North Attleboro, Wrentham, Foxboro, Mansfield and Franklin, as well as personnel from the Wrentham Police Department. I thank everyone who assisted and extend my sincere condolences to the family who lost their son.”

The investigation is still ongoing.

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