Passenger in truck during hit and run crash that killed Gavin Gladding sentenced
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- An emotional day in court saw Fernanda Lopez read from a prepared statement where she apologized to the Gladding family who sat just feet away from the 18-year-old.
Gavin Gladding was killed almost eight months to the day when he was struck by a pickup while jogging along Friant Road in Fresno County.
Police say Lopez's boyfriend Rogelio Alvarez Maravilla was the driver and sped away from the scene.
Lopez, believed to be the passenger in the vehicle, pleaded no contest to destroying evidence that tied her boyfriend to the deadly crash
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"I'm sorry for the tears that have been shed and the pain that has been caused," Lopez said in court. "I sincerely hope by taking responsibility for my actions I hope to provide a bit of closure."
The Gladding family called it justice when the judge sentenced Lopez to 210 days in custody and three years probation.
Lopez was placed in handcuffs and immediately taken away. She was forced to walk past the Gladding family on her way out the courtroom.
"She had an opportunity to say something to us as she exited the courtroom," said Rita Gladding, Gavin's mother. "She was two inches away and just got a smirk and on she went."
The sentencing comes just two days after Gavin would've turned 44 years old.
The family held a small gathering over the weekend to celebrate his birthday but his widow Susan said his death has left a gaping hole on the entire family.
"We're doing ok. My kids are resilient they're laughing and enjoying life," she said. "But there is a just a hole that will never be filled in my life and their life and all the people's life that are here today. We miss him tremendously."
