WORCESTER COUNTY, Md. - Tyler Mailloux, a 22-year-old man from Berlin, was charged in relation to the crash that caused the death of teenager Gavin Knupp in July 2022.
The criminal case from the State of Maryland is going through the Circuit Court for Worcester County. Seventeen traffic charges were filed on Friday, including failure to immediately stop a vehicle at the scene of an accident involving bodily injury, failure to remain at the scene of an accident, and failure to report to police. Mailloux was previously charged with failing to stop at a stop sign in March 2022 in the same car, a black Mercedes, that was involved in the Knupp crash.
Neil Dubovsky, an attorney for the Knupp family, released a statement following the charges thanking the state's attorney and those who have supported the Knupps over the last year.
"We are immensely grateful to Kris Heiser and her team for the diligence and hard work that led to the filing of these criminal charges against the defendant Tyler Mailloux," it said. "We also again want to express our appreciation to our family, friends, and the entire community for their love and support. We will forever be grateful for the strength you have given us to keep fighting and we have only just begun."
"This presents an important step towards accountability for Gavin’s death, but it is just a step in that direction," the statement continued. "Let there be no confusion- we will not rest until that process is completed, both through this criminal prosecution in addition to pursuing any and all available civil remedies."
Knupp was 14 when he was killed in a hit-and-run on July 11, 2022, while walking. Community members have been adamant about not forgetting Gavin and have boycotted area businesses that may have been tied to Mailloux through Ralph DeAngelus, a man with whom Tyler was staying at the time of the crash. The car from the crash, the black Mercedes, was found in DeAngelus's garage.
DeAngelus was a partner of Matt Ortt from the Matt Ortt Companies, which ran restaurants like Coastal Salt and Coastal Smokehouse in Ocean City and facilities at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club. Boycotts came after a statement in which Ortt advocated for DeAngelus and Mailloux, though Ortt has apologized since the statement was issued.
Since the boycotts, the Coastal Smokehouse has been reported to have been sold and the company's partnership with DeAngelus has ended.
