JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The sentencing of Pamela Cabrera, the woman who pleaded guilty to her daughter’s death, included testimony from her sister on Friday.
Cabrera’s sister spoke out about the tragic circumstances leading up to the death of 5-year-old Vanity.
Cabrera entered her plea in January and is set to receive her final sentencing next Tuesday after several delays related to her history of mental illness.
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During the hearing, Cabrera’s sister expressed sorrow for the loss of her niece and shared her concerns for Pamela’s mental health.
“I immediately called 911 and called in a kidnapping,” Cabrera’s sister Whitney Baez said.
She’s remembering that fatal day in 2022 that she would never forget.
Baez explained her level of shock when Cabrera kidnapped five-year-old Vanity. Baez had custody of the child.
“Was it a surprise when Cabrera took vanity away from you?” asked the attorney.
“Yes, when she drove off in the car, I was not expecting,” Baez replied.
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Police said when an officer spotted Cabrera, who was then a kidnapping suspect, and approached her vehicle, she took off driving, and police chased after her.
Police said officers chased Cabrera for 30 miles and reached speeds of upwards of 90 miles per hour at some points, all the while her 5-year-old daughter Vanity was in the car.
Cabrera entered a guilty plea for aggravated manslaughter back in January.
Cabrera was trying to get off I-95 onto 9B, but her car crashed into a retention pond and sank to the bottom.
The end result: Cabrera’s vehicle crashed into a retention pond where Vanity lost her life.
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Cabrera made her appearance in court today to hear her sentencing in the tragic death of her daughter Vanity.
But as the first witness was testifying, Cabrera made several outbursts disrupting the courtroom.
As the judge gave her two warnings, she continued to speak as the witness testifying. She was later taken out of the courtroom.
Due to the outbursts, final sentencing was pushed to Tuesday for next week.
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