Broward teen sentenced to 10 years for deadly 2022 stolen car crash after emotional testimony from victim's family

For the first time on Friday, the family of a woman who died in a violent crash saw disturbing police body-camera footage of her final moments.

On Aug. 28, 2022, 35-year-old Maria Telez Valderrabano, a mother of three, was killed when authorities say the driver of a stolen car slammed into her vehicle.   

The driver, who was 15 years old at the time of the crash, was in a Broward County courtroom Friday to be sentenced on charges of vehicular homicide and manslaughter. Jah-Kobe Bessent, now 19, read a letter of remorse, apologizing to both the victim's family and his own.

"I should never have been behind the wheel," Bessent said.

During the hearing, footage of the aftermath was shown in stark detail, proving so troubling that it sent the victim's family running from the courtroom in tears.

Attorneys for Bessent argued for leniency, citing his difficult upbringing, which was marked by severe punishment at home, trouble in school, and the early death of his mother.

However, the victim's family asked the judge for justice, describing how their lives have been shattered. The victim's two children testified about how the loss has upended their lives.

The judge sentenced Bessent to 10 years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation.