Teen who allegedly hit, killed woman in Rviera Beach charged as adult

By ELIOT KLEINBERG

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Updated: 9:48 a.m. Friday, May 21, 2010

Posted: 9:06 a.m. Friday, May 21, 2010

Jermaine Nixon, the 15-year-old accused of losing control of a stolen car and mowing down and killing a woman in Riviera Beach, has been charged as an adult and booked into the Palm Beach County Jail, records show.

Nixon was booked at 10 p.m. Thursday in the March 19 death of Kathryn Veroxie, 21, and is expected to appear before a judge this morning.

Veroxie was walking near Garden Road and Blue Heron Boulevard about 10 p.m. when a stolen 1997 Chevrolet Malibu driven by Nixon swerved and hit her, police said.

A native of New York, Veroxie moved to Jupiter seven years ago after her mother died of breast cancer. Her father died the following year. She lived with her aunt and uncle, graduated from Jupiter High School in 2007 and was attending Palm Beach State College off and on while working as a cashier for Publix in Lake Park.

Known as "Kat," she loved Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and root beer.

Nixon is charged with negligent vehicle manslaughter, failing to stop at a fatal crash, driving without a license with a serious injury or death, and theft between $300 and $5,000.

The teenager surrendered to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice on May 1.

At a May 4 hearing, Juvenile Court Judge Kathleen Kroll ordered Nixon to remain at the Palm Beach County Juvenile Assessment Center while prosecutors considered whether to file adult charges. This, despite his attorney's arguments for leniency.

State rules allow prosecutors 21 days to decide whether to charge Nixon in Juvenile Court or in Circuit Court.

Nixon's attorney, Jack Fleischman, had pointed out that Nixon surrendered and asked he be released on electronic monitoring. But prosecutors countered that he waited two weeks, and had turned himself in only after a judge signed a warrant for his arrest.