A Lakeside man whose damaged BMW was traced to his family’s smoke shop business after a hit-and-run crash that severely injured a 12-year-old boy in El Cajon was sentenced Tuesday in two East County felony cases.
Dani Korkis, 35, was sentenced May 12, 2026, before San Diego Superior Court. Dani Korkis was sentenced to four years and eight months in state prison after pleading guilty in two East County felony cases. Court records indicate Korkis had entered guilty pleas on March 3, 2026, in two separate felony cases: one filed in July 2025 for reckless evading, and a second filed after the October 2025 hit-and-run crash.
The boy survived, but his injuries were severe. Police initially reported that responding officers and paramedics found the 12-year-old in the roadway with major head trauma. Additional case information described major head trauma, a broken arm, broken leg, and multiple teeth knocked out, injuries that required surgery and ongoing treatment.
The October case arose from an Oct. 22, 2025 crash on Ballantyne Street in El Cajon, where a 12-year-old boy was struck and seriously injured. El Cajon police later identified the suspect vehicle as a BMW X5 after investigators matched debris from the crash scene to that vehicle model and used investigative tools, including license-plate-reader information, to locate the BMW.
The BMW was later located at Lakeside Smokeshop, 9771 Maine Ave., a smoke shop business associated with Korkis’ family. After the crash, Korkis fled without stopping to help the injured boy. According to El Cajon Police, security camera video from his parents’ Lakeside smoke shop business showed he noticed blood on his hood, he knew he had struck something and left the scene, but still did not turn himself in.
Court records indicate the hit-and-run case, People v. Korkis, SCE436263-01, was filed Oct. 31, 2025. Korkis initially pleaded not guilty. On March 3, 2026, he pleaded guilty to Vehicle Code section 20001(a), felony hit-and-run involving injury or death, and Penal Code section 12022.1(b), committing a crime while released on bail or his own recognizance.
The bail/OR allegation links the October hit-and-run case to an earlier felony matter filed months before the crash.
Court records indicate the earlier case, People v. Korkis, SCE433838, was filed July 23, 2025. In that case, Korkis was charged with Vehicle Code section 2800.2(a), felony fleeing a peace officer with reckless driving and disregard for safety, and Penal Code section 664 / Vehicle Code section 2800.4, attempted evading an officer against traffic.
Korkis pleaded guilty March 3, 2026, to the felony reckless-evading charge. The attempted-evading count was dismissed pursuant to the plea.
The two cases remained under separate case numbers, but court records show they proceeded on the same plea and sentencing timeline. Both cases reflect a March 3 change of plea, an April 14 probation and sentencing hearing, and a May 12 sentencing.
The July case also reflects prior failures to appear. Court records indicate a bench warrant was ordered July 24, 2025, after Korkis failed to appear and bail bond was forfeited. A second warrant entry appears Oct. 27, 2025, just days after the Ballantyne Street crash and before the October hit-and-run case was filed.
By the time Korkis entered his guilty pleas in March, the record reflected a progression from a July felony evading case to an October crash involving a child, followed by a guilty plea to committing the later offense while on release.
The criminal cases now show no future hearings. The court record reflects guilty pleas, dismissed counts pursuant to plea, and a sentence entered.
What the record cannot reduce to a docket entry is the central fact of the case: a 12-year-old boy was struck, left injured in the roadway, and the driver did not stop.
