JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Lawyers for Pamela Cabrera, the woman charged in the death of her 5-year-old daughter after crashing into a pond, entered a guilty plea Wednesday to the charges of aggravated manslaughter of her child and fleeing from police in 2022.
The Cabrera family estate also filed a lawsuit alleging negligence of multiple agencies involved.
RELATED: Woman charged in death of daughter after crashing into pond during I-95 pursuit pleads not guilty
A body cam video showed Pamela Cabrera leading deputies on a 30-mile pursuit on I-95 after abducting her daughter, 5-year-old Vanity from her aunt in Jacksonville.
“Coming in at 80 miles an hour, into zone three, she’s running, [it’s] dark it’s hard to see her,” said a deputy from the footage.
Cabrera can be seen throwing a knife out of the car window before later crashing into a retention pond, just south of the 9B exit.
Footage showed deputies submerged in dark water searching for survivors. They eventually rescued Cabrera who stayed afloat by hanging onto a tire.
Vanity, however, didn’t make it out.
RELATED: Family remembers infectious laugh of 5-year-old who died in pond after JSO says she was kidnapped
In the months after Vanity’s death, Cabrera’s mental competency came into question as to whether she was fit to stand trial. The judge eventually found her competent for prosecution, which led to her lawyers entering a guilty plea Wednesday on charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and fleeing police.
News4JAX also learned the Estate of Vanity Cabrera, which includes her father and other family members, is suing the following entities:
- Lifestream Behavioral Center
- Eckerd Youth Alternatives
- The LJD Jewish Family & Community Services
- Family Support Services
According to court documents, the family alleged, “EYA should have known that the placement of Vanity with her mother, Mrs. Baez, created a foreseeable zone of risk to Vanity as opposed to placement in an anonymous youth foster home.”
They also alleged that while in the custody of LBC, “Ms. Cabrera told Mr. Tirado that she was taking Vanity and they were all going to die.”
Lawyers for Vanity’s estate said all the named entities are guilty of negligence in some way, which resulted in 5-year-old Vanity drowning in her mother’s car.
The estate is seeking damages over $50,000, for medical, burial, and funeral expenses, and any other damages and relief the court deems appropriate.