Disgraced NFL star Henry Ruggs III publicly apologizes to DUI crash victim's family during prison release
Disgraced former NFL star Henry Ruggs III has publicly apologized to the family of the woman he killed in a 2021 drunk-driving accident.
On Tuesday, three and a half years since the crash that took the lives of 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog Max, the ex-Raiders receiver was granted special release to speak at a Hope for Prisoners event in Las Vegas.
'One, I wish I could turn back the hands of time,' the 26-year-old began, as seen in video from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
'I would love for them to meet the real Henry Ruggs and not the one that was escaping from something,' he continued. 'I sincerely apologize for not only being a part of that situation, but the fact my face is always in the news, it's always in the newspaper. So they have to constantly be reminded of the situation, be reminded of me.'
This isn't the first time Ruggs has offered a publicly apology since pleading guilty to DUI and being sentenced to anywhere from three-to-10 years in prison. Prior to his incarceration, Ruggs addressed Tintor's family in a Nevada courtroom.
'To the parents and family of Ms. Tintor, I sincerely apologize for the pain and suffering my actions the morning of November 2, 2021 have caused you, your family and those who knew Ms. Tina and Max,' he said, according to multiple reports. 'I let my family, my teammates and those who believed in me down with my actions and hurt so many.'
Ruggs was cut by the Raiders following the pre-dawn crash as he recovered in a Las Vegas-area hospital. He and his fiancee were also injured in the collision.
In a statement read in court by Tintor´s cousin, David Strbac, Tintor´s mother, Mirjana Komazec, offered prayer for Ruggs and his young daughter.
'We pray that Henry Ruggs is blessed with the opportunity to be able watch his beautiful daughter grow into the amazing woman she can be,' Komazec's statement read.
'And we pray that this terrible accident inspires positive change in the world. We pray that we all take away the importance of looking out for one another, remembering everyone we meet is another human's loved one.'
Ruggs, a former Alabama star and the 12th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, has remained busy in prison, where he's continued to train in hopes of an NFL return, according to former teammate, Josh Jacobs.
'Keeping up with him and hearing him talk, it brings me spirits, because he's always positive,' Jacobs, who now plays for the Green Bay Packers, told the Pivot Podcast in April.
'He's positive about everything. He's training. They let him train and things like that, so I'm like, 'When you come out, man, I don't know if you will get a chance.'
'I've been talking to some people for him,' Jacobs continued.
'They've been saying a couple of teams are willing to give him a chance. I'm like, 'When you get that chance, man, you better not ever — don't look back, and prove to yourself and prove to everybody that one decision don't define you and who you are as a man.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Male escort 'The Punisher' reveals sordid new Diddy 'freak off' revelation after video was shown to jury
A male escort who was allegedly paid to participate in Sean ' Diddy ' Combs' sex sessions known as 'freak offs' says he had no idea he was being filmed. Exotic dancer Sharay Hayes, also known by his stage name 'The Punisher', claims he was given $800 to have sex with singer Cassie Ventura while Diddy watched in 2012. He has now claimed he was unaware he was being recorded, after video of him having sex with Ventura was played to the jury in the disgraced rap mogul's sex trafficking and racketeering trial in New York on Monday. On Tuesday, jurors viewed several video clips of Ventura engaging in sexual acts with male escorts, whom prosecutors claimed were compensated by Combs. Although Hayes' name was not explicitly mentioned, prosecutors said one of the short video clips was from October 14, 2012 — the same day prosecutors allege Combs paid him to have sex with Ventura. Hayes said he remembers that 2012 encounter as the very first 'freak off' session at the Trump International Hotel in Manhattan. 'I'm shocked that there is a video because whatever video was taken was something that was done candidly without my knowledge,' he told the Daily Mail on Tuesday. 'I never saw any video or anything to that degree. So, my first reaction is just shocked that something is out there.' Hayes testified last month that he was greeted by a scantily clad Ventura and Combs, who was wearing nothing but a 'burqa', to disguise his identity. The videos, which are sealed exhibits, were not shown to the public. Combs was seen licking his lips after watching the freak off videos from a side room of the courtroom. When asked about Diddy's physical response after watching the explicit footage, Hayes said: 'My goodness. 'This is something I'd never say, but I think this is going to be my first no comment. I'm speechless!,' he added. Combs, 55, is on trial in New York facing sex trafficking and racketeering charges. If found guilty, the rap mogul could spend decades behind bars. Combs has pleaded not guilty and rejected a potential plea deal before the trial began last month. His lawyers concede he could be violent, but he denies using threats or his music industry clout to commit abuse. Hayes told the Daily Mail he's concerned footage of him and Ventura could somehow be leaked. He said he never imagined his sexual encounters with Ventura were being recorded because the former couple was very adamant about being discreet. 'I thought it would be the opposite because part of the criteria was that my phone would be taken away to avoid those things (being filmed),' he said. 'So, the last thing I would have expected was for there to be photos or filming going on. '(My) second reaction, of course, is the normal one, right? You worry about this thing popping up on social media sites and point and even worse, porn sites. 'Somehow, they get their hands on this footage and then it's edited and put on porn sites for views and clicks. 'My concern goes to how public this can become, and how much is out there, and what type of issue that can create or embarrassment that may come from it.' Hayes testified at the trial on May 20. During cross-examination, Hayes testified he believed Ventura sometimes flinched when Combs would allegedly direct him and Ventura as they were having sex while the Bad Boy rapper watched and masturbated. 'The directions were subtle, but the masturbation was a lot,' Hayes told on Tuesday. 'I didn't pick up any moaning, but the "whack, whack, whack" while he was masturbating — that was loud and a lot.' However, Hayes maintains that Ventura otherwise appeared comfortable during the sexual encounters, potentially undercutting the prosecution's argument that she was allegedly coerced to participate. 'What was emphasized to me before we even started was to act like [Combs] wasn't there, to not have any eye contact or don't acknowledge [him]. 'The room is set up in a way where he's positioning himself out of my line of sight.' Hayes testified he was hired by the former couple up to 12 more times after the first encounter at the Trump hotel in 2012. He said he received about $1,200 to $2,000 for each session. In a previous interview with the Daily Mail, Hayes said he did not know the identity of the mysterious couple until about a year later. It was during a 'freak off' session at the Essex House Hotel in New York City when Hayes noticed the greeting on the television screen said Combs' name. Hayes maintains he does not believe his sexual encounters with Cassie rise to the allegations that Combs is facing. However, the dancer said he believes all the video footage will be key evidence for jurors. 'Both sides of this have been so brilliant with their approach that it seems like it depends whoever's on, whatever witnesses on the stand, whatever legal team is dealing with them, they create a believable, provable scenario both sides,' Hayes said. 'I'm sure there is a way to spin even these videos in both directions.' On Tuesday, jurors watched 10 clips of Ventura in the 'freak offs', ranging from around 20 seconds to five minutes long. The videos were not shown to the public. A black male juror was seen lifting his eyebrows up and looking away before taking a swig of water. A black female juror furrowed her brow and put her hand to her face. Others stared blankly as they watched the footage of Ventura with male escorts from October 13, 2012, and an unspecified date in December 2014. As the jurors filed out for lunch on Tuesday, a white male juror was seen shaking his head in the courtroom, which was silent as they exited. Combs nodded as the audio was played and occasionally looked up at the jury. Hayes said he was not warned by prosecutors beforehand that a 'freak off' video of him and Ventura would be played to jurors. He said while he has come to terms with the attention he has received because of the trial, he remains uneasy on whether any video footage could be leaked. 'I just had to get to a point of whatever feelings are associated with it because it's obviously embarrassing, and it's with me for the rest of my life,' Hayes said. 'Don't get me wrong — they were my choices, right? But I did not necessarily think that it would be on a billboard in Times Square, you know? He added: 'Whenever someone Googles "Sharay Hayes" for the rest of my life, this is what people will see. 'So, to add a video to what's already been written, it's just another thing to manage and I have to just block out and push forward because it's out of my control. I just hope that this evidence doesn't end up in somebody's hands.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Vegas girlfriend from hell learns fate after she killed boyfriend after finding another woman's tampon in trash
A Las Vegas woman who killed her boyfriend has been sentenced to at least 12 years behind bars - but insists she's still in love with her victim. Julie Bush, 31, killed Richard 'Rick' Penardo Jr., 51 by ramming him with her car during an argument after she found another woman's tampons in the trash can. Bush was sentenced to 12 to 35 years in prison by Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny after taking a plea deal on voluntary manslaughter and DUI-with-death charges. She will be eligible for parole in 2036. The mother-of-one grew emotional in court as she addressed the family, saying she was 'sorry that he passed away,' according to 8 News Now. 'I wish I could change it, but I can't, and I know there's not a sentence in the world that's going to make anybody satisfied,' she said, before admitting, 'I love him very much.' On Tuesday, prosecutors said the tampon found in the trash can likely belonged to Penardo's roommate. The victim's family was not willing to forgive Bush, with his mother calling her the 'biggest mistake' of his life. 'Rick wasn't perfect,' Grace Fisher, his mother, said. 'He made plenty of mistakes and poor choices during his life. His biggest mistake was ever getting involved with Julie Bush. She made his life a living hell.' The former couple got into the fatal altercation in May 2024 outside their home. Bush confronted her then-boyfriend over the tampon, sparking an argument. Penardo then 'retrieved a long, steel chain from the residence and went over to her vehicle' where he began to 'swing the chain around, breaking the windows of Bush's vehicles,' documents said. She then hit Penardo with her car, which lifted him off the ground and threw him against a brick wall. Bush got out of the vehicle and tried to help her boyfriend. Both were under the influence at the time. 'Video footage of the incident clearly shows that Julie was overwrought with emotion and obviously remorseful for her actions,' Chief Deputy Special Public Defender Lisa Chamlee-Brainard, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. 'Julie has continued to feel remorse while incarcerated at CCDC and takes full accountability for her actions. 'However, Julie's longstanding struggles with mental health and substance abuse are a significant factor in the tragic circumstances surrounding this case.' Chamlee-Brainard said Bush endured a traumatic childhood and began abusing alcohol at the age of nine, ecstasy at the age of 11, and prescription drugs at 13, according to The Review-Journal. Bush took a plea deal in March. Penardo also had a criminal history and had previously been sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for unemployment insurance fraud in 2017, according to the Nevada Attorney General's Office. His co-conspirator filed the claims on his behalf while Penardo was locked up at the Clark County Detention Center and High Desert State Prison between July and September 2011. He collected more than $4,700 in unemployment checks.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Seven California men charged with ‘largest jewelry heist in US history'
Seven men in southern California have been charged in connection with what federal authorities are calling the 'largest jewelry heist in US history' after allegedly stealing approximately $100m worth of gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and luxury watches from an armored truck. The US attorney's office for California's central district revealed the charges in a news release on Tuesday. The heist took place on 10 July 2022, according to the indictment. The suspects scouted an armored Brinks truck leaving an international jewelry show in San Mateo, carrying 73 bags filled with millions of dollars worth of jewelry. The suspects trailed the truck for about 300 miles, eventually following it to a rest stop Lebec, north of Los Angeles. 'While the truck was stopped in Lebec, those defendants stole 24 bags from the Brinks truck containing approximately $100 million of jewelry,' the Department of Justice's (DoJ) release says. Authorities say that in the days following the theft, several of the suspects deactivated the cell phones they had been using during the heist. All seven defendants, who are from the Los Angeles area, were indicted last Wednesday and have been charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit theft from interstate and foreign shipment and theft from interstate and foreign shipment. Five of the suspects also face additional charges of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and interference with commerce by robbery. Two of the seven men have already been arrested and scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Tuesday. A third suspect is currently serving a prison sentence in Arizona for an unrelated burglary. He is expected to appear in court soon. The remaining four suspects are seemingly still at large. Some of the stolen jewelry was recovered during the arrests, according to the DoJ. Authorities have also alleged that several of the suspects are linked to other criminal activities. Prosecutors claim that several members of the group were involved in the theft of around $240,000 worth of Samsung electronics from an interstate cargo shipment in March 2022. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Several of the men are also accused of robbing a box truck driver of about $57,000 worth of Apple AirTags, during which one suspect allegedly brandished a knife and threatened the driver. And in May 2022, prosecutors say that the defendants reportedly tried to break into a truck at a Fontana rest stop using a crowbar. A short time later, authorities say that the same group stole more than $14,000 worth of Samsung electronics from another interstate shipment in the area. If convicted as charged, five of the suspects face up to 20 years in federal prison. All seven face up to five years behind bars for the theft conspiracy charge and 10 years in federal prison for each theft charge, according to prosecutors.
