Driver accused of hitting, killing 2 boys was so drunk trooper had to hold him up, solicitor says

SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WHNS/Gray News) - A man suspected of driving under the influence, leading to a crash that killed two South Carolina boys on their bicycles, has been denied bond and will be placed on an ICE detainer.

Eri Perez is facing charges, including two counts of felony DUI resulting in death, driving without a license and open container. He is accused of hitting and killing 12-year-old Dereon James Robinson and 9-year-old Mikhail-Lee Smith while they were riding their bikes Sunday afternoon in Spartanburg County.

Perez appeared in court Monday for a bond hearing, where Seventh Circuit Solicitor Barry Barnette claimed the suspect admitted he had been drinking all day Saturday and Sunday. The solicitor said Perez was so intoxicated at the crash site he couldn’t do a sobriety test, and a trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol had to hold him up.

Barnette said Dereon and Mikhail-Lee were riding their bikes when Perez lost control of his car, drove onto the sidewalk and hit them at a high rate of speed. Both boys died from their injuries.

Dereon’s mother was with the two boys at the time of the crash and saw it all happen. She said the car almost hit her before it hit them, and she ran to them and started performing CPR.

Dereon’s older brother, James McDowell, says this never should have happened.

“Because of drinking and driving, they are no longer here. They don’t have the chance to live their life to the fullest,” McDowell said.

Perez was denied bond Monday. Barnette called him a “flight risk,” saying he is not legally in the United States, and the judge said an ICE detainer will be filed.

If convicted, Perez could face up to 50 years behind bars.