MINEOLA, N.Y. — Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced the sentencing of Jorge Bonilla Gutierrez, a 19-year-old from Freeport, to six to twelve years in prison for his involvement in a fatal crash that claimed the life of a six-year-old girl in August 2023.

On June 5, 2024, Gutierrez pled guilty before Judge Terence Murphy to several charges, including Manslaughter in the Second Degree and Driving While Intoxicated. The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office had recommended a sentence of six to fifteen years.

The crash occurred early on August 7, 2023, when Gutierrez, driving a Nissan Pathfinder under the influence of alcohol, sped through a red light on Hempstead Turnpike in West Hempstead and collided with a Toyota Corolla. The impact was devastating, causing the Corolla to veer off the road and strike a tree. Katerine Vanegas Hernandez, a passenger in the Corolla, sustained fatal injuries just two days before her seventh birthday.

The collision also seriously injured Katerine’s five-year-old brother and their mother, the driver of the Corolla. Gutierrez was arrested near the scene, where authorities noted empty beer cans in and around his vehicle. Subsequent blood tests confirmed his blood alcohol content was more than double the legal limit.

DA Donnelly expressed her condolences to the bereaved family, emphasizing the preventable nature of the tragedy and the broader implications of drunk driving. The case is being handled by Deputy Bureau Chief Katie Zizza of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau.

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