A missing mirror told the story

A 29-year-old man appeared in court Friday on a felony charge after investigators traced a missing passenger-side mirror to the hit-and-run crash that killed a Kentwood teenager.

Cameron Blake Bryant, 29, pleaded not guilty to failure to stop at the scene of an accident when at fault resulting in death, according to court records. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, WOODTV reported.

The crash victim was Stephon Harris, 17, who was walking home from work the night of May 6 when police say he was struck by a vehicle along Eastern Avenue SE near Hardwick Street SE in Kentwood.

Camera footage caught the damage

Police used Flock cameras and license plate readers to identify Bryant's vehicle, a 2006 Buick Lucerne, according to the probable cause affidavit.

The timeline from surveillance footage told investigators what happened:

• At 10:40 p.m. on May 6, Bryant's Buick was captured driving south on Eastern Avenue with no visible damage and with its passenger-side mirror intact.
• Five minutes later, at 10:45 p.m., the same vehicle passed by again. The passenger-side mirror was gone.
• Audio from a nearby doorbell camera captured "the sound of a possible crash/impact" after 10:40 p.m. on May 6, according to the affidavit.

Police visited Bryant's address and found the Buick with passenger-side damage and a smudge that appeared to be blood, court documents say.

A family's grief turns to relief

Harris' body was found unresponsive the morning of May 7 by loved ones near the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Hardwick Street. The probable cause affidavit stated that Harris "had been dead for hours prior to police being contacted."

"I've been crying since my son passed on May 6," Harris' mother, Mercedes Anderson, told FOX 17.

Anderson said she received a phone call from police on Thursday informing her of the arrest.

"He said, 'We got him.' I said 'are you serious?'"

Harris was nearing the end of his junior year at Kelloggsville High School. His family remembered him as a "good kid," a "straight-A student" and a "hard worker," according to WOODTV.

"I'm excited that he got caught," Anderson said. "I have not been able to sleep since my son passed away. I ain't going to say passed away since he got killed. But I was able to sleep today."

Crystal Banks, Harris' cousin, said the arrest was a first step toward justice.

"Finally we can continue, we can start to mourn and start to get back to focusing on us," Banks said.

Judge sets conditions after arraignment

Judge Amanda Sterkenburg set Bryant's bond at $45,000 with strict conditions, according to court records.

If Bryant posts bond and is released, he must:

• Wear a GPS tether
• Obey a curfew
• Not leave home or drive when it is dark out

Sterkenburg expressed concerns about Bryant's willingness to appear at trial, noting he has a prior record of failing to report a traffic crash offense, WOODTV reported. Bryant's attorney acknowledged his criminal history but said he has not been in trouble with the law in the last six years.

A dangerous stretch

Harris is not the first pedestrian to be killed in the area of Eastern and Hardwick. In August 2025, a 58-year-old man was hit by a car and killed in the same area, according to WOODTV. Harris' family is calling for changes to make the intersection safer.

Bryant is expected back in court for hearings on June 4 and June 11.

"I really want him to get life in prison. That's what I want, but I know I'm not going to get that. As long as he's locked away, I don't even want him to have a license when he gets out of jail," Anderson said.