Chowchilla man sentenced for DUI crash that killed 15-year-old girl

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A grieving Valley household came to tribunal 1 much clip connected Tuesday aft their teenage daughter's death.

"My girl is gone, and she's ne'er coming back. He volition spell to situation and helium volition travel back, helium volition beryllium alive," said Melody Willet, the parent of Jayce Willet.

Melody made a last plea successful tribunal much than 4 years aft Jaycee was killed by a drunk driver.

She pushed for Marcos Torres to look a just punishment and aimed immoderate of her remarks astatine the defendant's family.

"You tin spell sojourn him and archer him you emotion him and perceive him accidental it back. And the sorrow that you consciousness is simply a fraction of what I consciousness due to the fact that you cognize he's inactive alive," said Melody.

On November 8th, 2019, Jaycee was successful the backseat of her friend's car successful Chowchilla erstwhile Torres ran a halt motion and t-boned the vehicle, sidesplitting the 15-year-old.

The territory attorney's bureau charged him with murder, but past year, a assemblage recovered Torres blameworthy of manslaughter and driving nether the influence.

On Tuesday, defence lawyer Mark Coleman claimed Torres has been harassed connected societal media and said his whereabouts are often shared online since helium has not been successful jailhouse pending the sentence.

The suspect was excessively tense to talk for himself, truthful Coleman work his connection directed to Jaycee's family.

"Every day, I deliberation astir the information that Jaycee died, and I caused her death. I deliberation astir everyone who was wounded due to the fact that of what I did. I americium atrocious for the wounded and the nonaccomplishment I caused," said Coleman.

Torres was facing up to 11 years successful situation if aggravating factors were found, but the justice sentenced him to 8 years and 4 months.

Jaycee's household says justness has yet been served, but it does not instrumentality distant the symptom of losing their young loved one.

"She had the astir beauteous grin that I could remember," said Melody Kunkee, Jaycee's sister-in-law. "She had specified a benignant soul."

Now, the household plans to absorption connected healing with Jaycee ever successful their hearts.

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