Jan. 6 Rioter Pardoned By Trump Sentenced For DUI Crash That Killed Mom Of 2
Emily Hernandez, 25, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Wednesday and will serve a concurrent 7-year sentence for a Jan. 5, 2022, wrong-way crash that killed 32-year-old Victoria Wilson and seriously injured her husband, Ryan Wilson, NBC affiliate KSDK reported.
Hernandez 'chose her actions that night and she chose wrong over and over and over again,' Victoria Wilson's niece Desirae Raymo told the outlet after the sentencing. 'I don't feel any amount [of time] she will serve will bring her back, it won't rectify her actions. I hope she can change and be a better person.'
Ethan B. Corlija, Hernandez's attorney, told HuffPost in an email that Hernandez 'will be eligible for early release under the guidelines used by the Missouri Department of Corrections.'
Hernandez first made headlines a year before the crash when federal authorities charged her with storming the U.S. Capitol and stealing Nancy Pelosi's name plate, valued at $870, according to a criminal complaint obtained by HuffPost.
Federal authorities apprehended Hernandez after three individuals identified her in a clip from the U.K.-based news network ITV News. In the footage, Hernandez can be seen holding up a broken piece of a sign and a white manila envelope.
Several tipsters submitted photographs and videos to federal authorities from Hernandez's social media depicting her at the Capitol and wearing the same clothing items, according to the complaint.
According to court records, Hernandez was charged with several misdemeanors. She pleaded guilty to one count of entering a restricted building and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, plus probation.
A year later, the deadly crash took place on a highway in Franklin County, Missouri. Hernandez pleaded guilty to driving on the wrong side of the road and slamming into the Wilsons' car, according to a sentencing memorandum obtained by HuffPost. She was taken to a local hospital where her blood alcohol was recorded as being .125.
Corlija, her attorney, wrote in the memo that Hernandez showed she had come to terms with the fact that she 'took someone's life.'
'I live with that shame every day,' Hernandez reportedly told her probation officer. 'Right after it happened and I was home from the hospital, I was in my bed and realized I changed these people's lives forever.'
Angelia Ortiz, Victoria Wilson's older sister, launched a GoFundMe to offset Ryan Wilson's medical bills and support the couple's two children.
At Wednesday's sentencing hearing, Victoria Wilson's mother, Tonie Donaldson, told KSDK about the impact Hernandez's actions have had on the family.
'Nothing will bring her back. We have an empty hole in my heart that will always be there,' Donaldson told KSDK. 'It was some relief to be able to turn and look her in her eyes and tell her how much harm she had really done to us... that's a choice she made, she has to live with it.'
22-Year-Old With Chronic Asthma Died After Inhaler Price Went From $66 to $539: Lawsuit
Jan. 6 Rioter Pardoned By Trump Remains Jailed In Child Sex Abuse Case
Trump Pardons Anti-Abortion Activist Who Blockaded Clinic And Had Fetuses In Her Home
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
People Are Rolling Their Eyes Into Oblivion After Hearing Karoline Leavitt's Latest Claim About Trump
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is getting put on blast after she once again demanded that President Donald Trump be given the Nobel Peace Prize. 'President Trump has brokered, on average, about one peace deal or ceasefire per month during his six months in office,' she said as she listed some of those efforts. 'It's well past time that President Trump was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.' While Trump has had his hand in some ceasefire agreements, his efforts overall have been a mixed bag. A ceasefire between Israel and Iran, for example, came only after he launched a US strike on Iranian facilities. And some of the biggest conflicts have continued to rage. Related: Trump vowed repeatedly to end the war between Russia and Ukraine on his first day in office, but the situation has only worsened. He's also promised to end the war in Gaza, but Israel's assault in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks has continued, and the humanitarian crisis has escalated. Trump has instead complained that he didn't get a 'thank you' from Gaza for sending money intended for food aid. But Leavitt's demand is in line with Trump's longtime grievance over the award. He's complained repeatedly about not getting one during his previous term in office, insisting that he should have had 'four or five' of them by now. And he really doesn't like that President Barack Obama was awarded one. Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had nominated Trump for the honor in a move many observers believed was just a blatant attempt to curry favor. As a result, Leavitt's critics fired back with a number of facts about her boss. Some also noted that she seemed to pronounce 'Nobel' as 'noble,' which, ironically, is how Trump himself has spelled the name of the prize in the past. Related: And a few compared her over-the-top praise for her boss to North Korean propaganda. @olddog100ua @3mendous @scarylawyerguy @djomegamvp Related: @jimstewartson @mermaid8861 @LucasSa56947288 @rpsagainsttrump @gregtsargent @chetterhub Related: @brettsbaker @ShayneALong @ronxyz00 @johnbrynt This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Also in In the News: Also in In the News: Also in In the News:
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
He Says He Was Sexually Abused by His Mother: Is His Younger Brother Actually His Son?
Logan Gifford says his mother sexually abused him as a child — and now, a DNA test has left him questioning whether her youngest son is also his childNEED TO KNOW Logan Gifford alleges his mother, Doreene Gifford, sexually abused him as a child She gave birth when Logan was 11 — a paternity test showed both Logan and his biological father are likely matches Doreene was convicted of attempted sexual assault and incest in 2015A Las Vegas man who says his sex offender mom subjected him to years of childhood sexual abuse now fears the unthinkable: that his younger brother may also be his biological son. Logan Gifford, 26, has stepped in to care for his 15-year-old younger brother — the child their mother gave birth to when Logan was 11 years old. The teen has disabilities, according to Logan, who said his brother requires additional support at home and school. Their mother, Doreene Gifford, was convicted in 2015 of attempted sexual assault, incest and lewdness with a child under 14, per court documents. Logan maintains that his mother repeatedly sexually assaulted him throughout his childhood, beginning when he was 10 and continuing for seven years, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal, 8 News Now and his GoFundMe initiative for court took an Alford plea — meaning she did not admit guilt but acknowledged that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict — and was sentenced to 8 to 20 years in prison when Logan was 17. "Sending her to prison was halfway vindicating since I thought the largest problem of my life was originally dealt with," Logan told 8 News Now. After nine years behind bars, Doreene Gifford is now a registered sex offender in Nevada — she was released on parole in July of 2024, but was arrested this January after violating a condition that she have no victim contact. She was not listed in Clark County inmate databases as of August 2025; Logan told 8 News Now she currently resides in Massachusetts. In a statement on his GoFundMe for legal expenses, Logan said he is now in a custody battle over the teen, who had previously been living with their biological father. "I believe he might be my son, a haunting possibility tied to the abuse I suffered around the time he was conceived," Logan wrote. 'Look at the mess that I'm left with,' he told the Review-Journal. 'I didn't ask for any of this. I was a child when all of this happened and yet now I'm responsible for picking up the pieces of something that really is still continuing to have an impact in my life and dragging me to deal with that. I feel that as though it is my obligation or my duty to [him] to do this and find out who his biological father really is.' Earlier this year, Logan filed a paternity petition in Clark County Family Court and asked for a judge to approve an advanced DNA test. He told 8 News Now and the Review-Journal that his DNA and that of his biological father both matched the teen's at 99.9%, suggesting that either man could be the father, due to shared genetic overlap among judge offered Logan the option of pursuing more advanced testing, which could help clarify the boy's parentage. DNA testing between a full sibling and a potential father can be challenging because both may share about 50% of their DNA with the child. Full siblings often match at the same genetic markers used in standard paternity tests, making it difficult to determine paternity without advanced genetic methods or additional family samples. "It's ugly and visceral, but it doesn't change the fact but it needed to be done," Logan told 8 News Now. "If it comes back negative, I'm still filing for custody, because it doesn't change the obligation that I have to him now." If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to . If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. Read the original article on People
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
ICE Detains Man in US Since He Was a Teenager at Traffic Court
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Pablo Grave de la Cruz, a longtime U.S. resident, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers outside the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal in June, according to his partner Samuel Spadavecchia. Newsweek has reached out to ICE via email and contacted Spadavecchia on LinkedIn for comment on Friday. Why It Matters Grave de la Cruz's detention comes as President Donald Trump has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history. Immigrants residing in the country illegally and legally, with valid documentation such as green cards and visas, have been detained. The initiative has seen an intensification of ICE raids across the country as well as reports of people being arrested at immigration appointments. What To Know On June 17, Grave de la Cruz was taken into ICE custody after exiting the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal in Cranston, according to his partner and a GoFundMe created on his behalf. He was at the traffic court for a civil traffic violation following a recent crash. His partner said that Grave de la Cruz passed a field sobriety test but refused a breathalyzer test. Refusing to take a chemical test in Rhode Island may result in a temporarily suspended license, fine, public community service, a course on driving while intoxicated and/or referral to an alcohol treatment program, according to the state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Local outlet The Valley Breeze reported that his pending DUI charge was dropped on June 17. According to the online fundraiser, he was reportedly first held at the Wyatt Detention Center prior to being relocated to Texas. Newsweek has confirmed in the ICE detainee database that Grave de la Cruz is being held in El Valle Detention Facility in Raymondville, Texas. Grave de la Cruz has been living in Rhode Island for nearly two decades, working a variety of jobs in the state's hospitality industry. Spadavecchia confirmed that his partner came to the U.S. as a 16-year-old without legal status and has been in the process of waiting for visa approval since the two married nearly 10 years ago, in 2016. ICE Boston spokesperson James Covington told 12 News that Grave de la Cruz is "an illegally present Guatemalan alien" with prior DUI convictions and a motor offense. Grave de la Cruz is from Guatemala, which Spadavecchia classified as "super homophobic" to The Valley Breeze. He said that "being gay, it's one of the biggest problems," adding that the country was not safe for Grave de la Cruz before he left. Inset: Pablo Grave de la Cruz as featured on a GoFundMe campaign on his behalf. The El Valle Detention Center in Raymondville, Texas, is seen on May 1. Inset: Pablo Grave de la Cruz as featured on a GoFundMe campaign on his behalf. The El Valle Detention Center in Raymondville, Texas, is seen on May 1. GoFundMe/AP Photo/Valerie Gonzalez What People Are Saying ICE Boston spokesperson James Covington told 12 News regarding Grave de la Cruz: "Allowing this alien offender to remain on the streets of Rhode Island only places the safety of our neighbors in jeopardy. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien offenders." A GoFundMe set up on Grave de la Cruz's behalf states: "Pablo has lived in Rhode Island for 19 years, more than half of his life. He is a beloved member of the hospitality community, working in the top restaurants in the state, including many years at Los Andes and most recently as a server at the prestigious Capital Grille, which he is very proud of. He has been married to his partner Sam for 9 years this September. Pablo has been a hard working taxpayer all these years while waiting for his marriage visa to be approved." What Happens Next? Spadavecchia told The Valley Breeze that he speaks with his partner via daily video chats as they work to determine their next steps. Spadavecchia added that his partner may decide to voluntarily self deport. As of Friday, the fundraiser had brought in more than $27,000 from nearly 400 donations.
