Mother kills her 5 years old daughter after kidnapping her from sisters custody

 Pamela Tereza Cabrera abducted her daughter, Vanity, crashed into a retention pond, and left her to die, authorities said. Photo Credit: Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office

A mother who kidnapped her 5-year-old daughter from her sister's custody and then left her to drown in a sinking car has pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter of a child and aggravated felony fleeing or attempting to elude causing death.

According to a report by Law and Crime on Friday, January 19, 2024, Pamela Tereza Cabrera, 33, admitted to the charges in a Duval County court on Friday, and will face sentencing in March. She could face up to 30 years in prison for each count.

According to the arrest and booking report, Cabrera abducted her daughter, Vanity, on March 31, 2022, while armed with a knife

She then led the police on a 30-mile chase, running red lights and driving recklessly on I-95 South.

The chase ended when Cabrera failed to make a turn on the exit ramp and plunged into a retention pond.She managed to escape the car and clung to a tire, but did not try to save her daughter, who was trapped in the front seat.

“The suspect attempted to take the exit for 9B West, but at the last minute she decided to go straight towards 9B East,” authorities wrote.

“While continuing at a high rate of speed, the suspect failed to negotiate the turn on the ramp, which caused the vehicle to go into a retention pond.

"Once the vehicle was submerged, the suspect escaped the vehicle and held onto a tire to stay afloat. The suspect observed the officers in the water and was yelling, ‘help me. Save me.'”

The officers tried to rescue Vanity, but the car sank to the bottom of the pond. A dive team later recovered her body.Cabrera's mother told WJAX that her daughter suffered from mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and had lost custody of Vanity to the Department of Children and Families, who placed her with her sister.

She said she had tried to get her daughter help, but was unable to do so.

Cabrera’s mother said that she loved her daughter, but hated what she did. She said that she took away her granddaughter, who was her everything.

Cabrera’s sister, who had been raising Vanity, said that she was devastated by the loss of her niece, who she described as a smart, happy, and loving child.

She said that she was her baby, too, and that she didn’t deserve this. She said that she deserved to live and have a bright future.

The judge ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set a tentative date for the sentencing hearing for the week of March 4. Cabrera remains in custody without bond.