Arrest documents: Driver in Arcadia crash has lengthy juvenile records

Reporter: Gail Levy Writer: Melissa Montoya
Published: Updated:
Kiara Morant. Credit: Lee County Sheriff’s Office

The woman arrested for the death of a child in an Arcadia playground remains in Lee County Jail Friday evening.

Kiara Morant turned herself into Fort Myers police on Friday morning.

Morant, 18, is accused of driving off State Road 70 and into the playground of an Arcadia daycare, killing 4-year-old Maleena Valdez and injuring another 5-year-old child, according to troopers. The incident happened on Wednesday.

Morant admitted to troopers she was the one driving the car, according to FHP. Troopers said she also told them she has never had a Florida driver’s license.

This isn’t Morant’s first run-in with the law, records show.

The Cape Coral records office sent us reports that show she’s been linked to charges since she was just 14-years-old.

One of them tied her to a hit and run.

Just last month, Fort Myers police arrested her for shoplifting at the Edison Mall.

WINK News asked a lawyer, who doesn’t represent Morant and isn’t involved in the case, what’s next for her and how could previous reports affect her charges.

“It’s just it’s a tragedy, no matter what happens to anyone, the loss of life is, is irreplaceable. And then when it’s a child, it’s that much more gut-wrenching,” said Fort Myers attorney Scot Goldberg. “They’re knowingly going out and endangering people that don’t know that she’s not properly licensed and may not have the experience to drive around.”

Records indicate it’s not her first time driving around.

WINK News requested Morant’s juvenile reports from Cape Coral Police Department. records.

In the documents they provided, one showed in Nov. 2021 she was linked to a hit-and-run.

Part of the report is redacted and doesn’t indicate who was behind the wheel.

“Even though it shouldn’t have any relevance to whether she’s convicted of this charge, it may have some relevance on how the state attorney’s office looks at how they want to prosecute this case,” Goldberg said.

Cape Coral records also provided reports for four battery charges. Morant’s involvement was also blacked out.

But Goldberg said the significance of those are minimal.

“It’s not; it shouldn’t impact her at all with how she’s charged, and how she’s prosecuted because what her prior arrests were, and all of those things, don’t have a lot of relevance to her guilt or innocence in this chart,” Goldberg said.

Morant is expected to have her first appearance on Saturday morning where a judge will set bond.

She is facing two felony counts for driving without a license and causing serious bodily harm or death.

“So it’s, it’s just a sad situation all the way around for an 18-year-old young lady to be dealing with this,” Goldberg said.

How those juvenile cases ended is confidential, according to the county clerk’s website.

Morant is currently in the lee county jail until she is extradited to Desoto County.

We reached out to the public defender’s office who will represent her for comment. We have not heard back.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.