Inset: Mikhail Cuba (Community Funeral Home). Background: The 2800 block of Wakulla Way in Orlando, Florida, where Mikhail, 17, was allegedly hit and killed by a classmate (Google Maps).
A 17-year-old from Florida is facing serious charges after allegedly using his car to fatally strike a classmate riding a scooter on a narrow street.
The suspect, Elijah Emmans, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of 16-year-old Mikhail Cuba in Orlando. The tragic event took place on November 20, 2025, along the 2800 block of Wakulla Way, a single-lane street without sidewalks, adjacent to a river, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Initially, the Florida Highway Patrol treated the incident as a hit-and-run, charging Emmans with vehicular manslaughter. However, after reviewing surveillance footage, authorities concluded that Emmans had intentionally struck Mikhail, prompting the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to take over the case and upgrade the charge to first-degree murder. Emmans was subsequently arrested on Friday and is currently held in a juvenile detention center.
Mikhail’s family has reported that Emmans had been harassing him at school. According to Mikhail’s grandmother, Ectasy Mooty, speaking to local Fox station WOFL, Emmans was part of a group of bullies that made Mikhail’s school life unbearable, forcing him to leave and pursue homeschooling.
According to Mikhail’s family, Emmans had been terrorizing him when he was at school.
Mikhail’s grandmother, Ectasy Mooty, told local Fox affiliate WOFL that Emmans was among a group of school bullies that made his life so miserable he had to leave and be homeschooled.
Mooty called her grandson’s alleged killer a “really sick, sick individual.”
“That’s not even a person,” she said in an interview with the TV station. “I wouldn’t even classify that as an animal.”
Mikhail’s death wasn’t the only tragedy for the family. In the months after his death, Mikhail’s mother died of an accidental overdose, Mooty said.
“Being without your child — who was just a child with so much promise — it just broke her heart and she died in her sleep,” Mooty told the outlet.
Now Mooty is making sure she gets justice for her grandson.
“They’re cowards because they did it from behind. He didn’t see them coming,” said Mooty, per WOFL. “But they’re going to see me coming. They’re going to see me every day in court, and I hope it haunts them.”
Mikhail’s obituary called him a “young man of remarkable kindness, intelligence, and generosity.”
“He was quiet and serious, yet his playful and silly side shone through for those he loved,” the obituary said. “He was always willing to go the extra mile for his family and friends. No matter the distance, you could always count on him being there for you.”
Emmans remains in the juvenile detention facility. It’s unclear when he is next slated to appear in court.
