Man who killed Aubrey Clark gets 7-year sentence

It’s an ending — but not the one Aubrey Clark’s family wanted.

Twenty-one months after LaStevie Howard killed the 10-year-old girl with his car, the Ocoee man received his sentence: seven years.

“Well, to say we’re happy is out of the question,” said Aubrey’s father, Danny Clark. “He should have been gone for a lot longer than that.”

Aubrey and her friend Jordan El-Ouadi were hit Jan. 20, 2015, near the intersection of Clarke and Silver Star roads. El-Ouadi was injured but survived. Aubrey remained in critical condition at Arnold Palmer Hospital for two weeks until Feb. 5, when family members were forced to take her off life support.

Her friends and family were devastated, especially after learning that video footage showed 42-year-old LaStevie Howard, the driver responsible for Aubrey’s death, quickly leaving the scene in his car. Witness testimony stated Howard seemingly got impatient, went around some traffic that wasn’t moving and hopped onto the sidewalk before hitting Aubrey and El-Ouadi.

Aubrey’s family initially asked the judge for the maximum sentence of 17 years and were baffled by the judge’s leniency. Furthermore, Howard is no stranger to prison and already has served time for prior convictions. He pled guilty to two out of four counts, allowing for a sentence reduction.

As a firefighter who consistently risks his life to help others, the mere thought of Howard leaving the scene remains unthinkable to Clark. He’s not happy with the judge’s decision, and given the circumstances of the case and the fact that Howard is a habitual offender, he believes Howard deserved a harsher sentence

“I sit here and ask myself the same question,” Clark said about the motivation behind the judge’s leniency. “I have no answer for that. No idea. No idea where that comes from or where the No. 7 even came from at all.”

Howard will be eligible for parole after serving a mandatory four years.

The emotional toll of Aubrey’s death has left Danny Clark broken-hearted, but his voice noticeably lightens up when he talks about her. He said he wants to make sure he never forgets the memory of his youngest and only daughter.

“I can talk all day about her,” Clark said with a chuckle. “She was just a normal 10-year-old little girl. She was funny, happy all the time. And I mean, all the time. She loved being around her family. Loved every holiday. Loved school, loved sports, loved playing, loved all her friends and riding her bike. I mean, you name it, she wanted to do it.”

Despite the time that has passed, time has stood still for the Clark family, but they try their best to cope by sticking together.

“It feels the same as the same day that it happened,” Clark said. “Nothing’s changed; it’s still a hole in our lives. Nothing’s put back together. You know, we tried. We try to stick together as a family, which we’ve been doing. Other than that, it’s just like the same day it happened. We miss her every single second. I don’t know how long it’ll take – I’m thinking never – but we are trying.”

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Contact Gabby Baquero at [email protected].