Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Eric Javah Baker, 22, who performs under the name Raw Youngin in his rap career, has been sentenced to 15 years in state prison and an additional 10 years on probation. This follows his guilty plea to four felonies, all related to an incident where he fled a traffic stop and collided with another vehicle, resulting in the death of the other driver.

On July 26, 2024, at approximately 6:41 p.m., officers from the Gainesville Police Department initiated a traffic stop on an Infiniti Q50S in the 1000 block of NE 2nd Street for violations concerning stop bar and window tint. The vehicle came to a halt on NE 10th Avenue, not far from the intersection with NE 2nd Street.

As the officers approached the Infiniti on foot, the vehicle sped away down NE 10th Avenue. In response, the officers returned to their patrol car and turned off their emergency lights.

Shortly after, the Infiniti was involved in a collision with another vehicle at the intersection of NW 10th Avenue and NW 6th Street. The crash resulted in the death of the other car’s driver, while the three other occupants of the Infiniti sustained serious injuries.

The Infiniti eventually stopped in the front yard of a property along the 600 block of NW 10th Avenue. Baker, who was driving, fled the scene without assisting any of the affected individuals. Despite appearing to suffer from a broken ankle, he attempted to hide in the yard of a nearby residence. However, a K-9 unit tracked him down, leading to his apprehension and subsequent medical treatment for his ankle at a hospital.

Ultimately, Baker faced formal charges, including fleeing from law enforcement, vehicular homicide with failure to render aid, reckless driving causing serious bodily injury, leaving the scene of an accident involving death, leaving the scene with serious bodily injury, and reckless driving causing damage to persons or property. Judge Kristine Van Vorst set his bail at $700,000. Since his hospital release post-crash, Baker has been held in the Alachua County Jail.

Baker entered a plea of nolo contendere to the charges, and the last two charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement. In the plea agreement, prosecutors asked for 25 years in prison, and Baker’s attorney asked for 10 years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation. Charges in another case with two charges of driving without a license, causing death or serious bodily injury, were also dropped as part of the deal.

On August 26, Judge David Kreider sentenced Baker to 15 years in prison with credit for 396 days served, followed by 10 years of probation, for the charge of leaving the scene of an accident involving death. Baker was also given a concurrent sentence of 15 years for fleeing from law enforcement and two concurrent five-year sentences on the other two charges; Judge Kreider ordered that a four-year minimum sentence be served for leaving the scene of an accident involving death.