A 32-year-old Florida woman has been charged with aggravated manslaughter after her 5-year-old daughter died during a high-speed chase, according to a report by ABC Action News. The state attorney's office in Jacksonville filed formal charges on Thursday against Pamela Cabrera, whom police said kidnapped her daughter late last month.
When a police officer spotted Cabrera's car at a red light, she immediately sped away and led the cops on a high-speed chase. Authorities said the car chase reached speeds of up to 90 miles an hour and covered 30 miles.
The long chase came to a tragic end when Cabrera's vehicle crashed into a retention pond along Interstate 95. Divers discovered the body of her young child, Vanity, at the bottom of the pond where the car crashed.
Pamela Cabrera did not attempt to rescue her daughter
According to Duval County court records, Cabrera did not attempt to rescue her five-year-old kid after the crash. She is charged with one count of eluding police, one count of vehicular homicide, and two counts of battery on first responders.
The Fourth District State Attorney’s Office filed formal charges against Pamela Cabrera, who Jacksonville police said crashed into a retention pond off Interstate 95 near the State Road 9B exit at the end of a police pursuit. https://t.co/FE9q1sMM7R
— News4JAX (@wjxt4) April 15, 2022
According to a less redacted arrest report for the Florida mom that News4JAX discovered Tuesday in Duval County court records, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office revealed that Cabrera was clinging to a tire when police officers reached the pond and yelled, "Help me. Save me."
The report also said that Cabrera did not attempt to save her daughter, who was trapped in the vehicle's front passenger seat. According to the report, that is where the dive team found Vanity's body.
The report also stated that when Cabrera was rescued from the pond by first responders, two paramedics tried to cover her up because of her lack of clothing. According to the report, Cabrera responded by spitting blood in the face of one of them.
Again, Cabrera did this when she was transferred to UF Health Jacksonville for treatment, with the report saying that she also spat blood in the face of one of the medical staff members who was attending to her.
Cabrera suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
According to jail records, Cabrera was booked into the Duval County jail, where she remained on a $2.2 million bond as of Tuesday. According to a report by Fox13News, court records also revealed that Cabrera has had a history with the law and that she has schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Court documents also showed that Cabrera lost custody of Vanity back in 2020, and she has been living with her family since then.
Family members are heartbroken about the tragedy. Relative Jeanette Davis issued a statement about Vanity Cabrera's tragic death, saying, "She was full of life, she was full of joy. She loved to dance. She was extraordinary." Davis added that she feels that the world is just different since this has happened because Vanity is not in it anymore.
