A 34-year-old mother from Florida has been sentenced to several decades in prison for kidnapping her 5-year-old daughter. The incident involved a high-speed chase that concluded with her crashing into a retention pond, where she left her daughter behind in an attempt to save herself.
On Tuesday, Judge Jonathan D. Sacks of the Fourth Circuit Court sentenced Pamela T. Cabrera to the maximum of 30 years for her role in the death of young Vanity Cabrera in 2022, according to court records obtained by Law&Crime.
Cabrera was sentenced by Sacks following a plea deal with prosecutors in January, where she admitted guilt to one count of aggravated manslaughter of a child and one count of aggravated felony fleeing or attempting to elude, resulting in serious bodily injury. In a plea deal, Cabrera had charges of vehicular homicide, battery on a law enforcement officer, and battery of an emergency medical care provider dismissed.
At the sentencing hearing on Tuesday, Cabrera’s lawyer, Public Defender Teresa Sopp, shared a note written by Cabrera in which she expressed remorse for her actions, according to Jacksonville, Florida NBC affiliate WTLV.
Sopp, who sought a 10-year sentence for her client, contended that Cabrera was experiencing a mental health crisis and emphasized the need for the state to focus more on treatment for such conditions instead of relying on lengthy prison terms.
According to earlier reports from Law&Crime, Cabrera was armed with a knife when she went to her sister’s home and took Vanity on March 31, 2022. Cabrera’s sister became Vanity’s legal guardian after Cabrera, who struggled with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, lost custody of the child to the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Cabrera’s sister quickly contacted emergency services, prompting a search for the missing girl. In a dramatic 30-mile pursuit, Cabrera reportedly ignored every red light from Biscayne Boulevard to I-95 South, according to police. Her driving was reckless, swerving between lanes at dangerous speeds and nearly colliding with other vehicles on several occasions.
Cabrera was driving on the inner shoulder of the road while overtaking semi-trucks. She then tried to exit but lost control while turning onto the ramp, ending up in a retention pond.
Several officers entered the water in an attempt to rescue Vanity, but their efforts were in vain as “the vehicle sank to the bottom of the pond.” A dive team successfully recovered the victim, who was found deceased inside the vehicle.