Residents Comment On De Leon Verdict

To submit comments regarding the De Leon case and her sentencing, send them to kvia@kvia.com

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I don’t have a problem with the 2yr sentence. What I

do have a problem with is this new concurrent

punishment. In other words 5 for the price of 1.

What a bargain!! I understand and sympathize that she

will have to live with this for the rest of her life

but 2 yrs (of which she will probably serve less than

half) is totally unfair. I am curious to know how the

family members of the deceased feel about this new 5

for 1 punishment. I truly feel that 2 yrs (a total of

10 yrs) for each (a total of 10 yrs) would have not

received such a public outrage.

A Friend

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Dear Gary,

Quite frankly I am tired of hearing how “unfair” Ms. De Leon’s sentencing is.I think a lot of these upset viewers need to go back in time and recall what they were doing atthis age. I am certainly not justifying drinking and driving. No doubt Ms. De Leon needs to be punished and suffer the consequences of her actions. I just don’t believe giving her the maximum sentence is the answer. There were5close friendsin that car doing what they did on a regular basis. Any one of them could have been driving (and as we all know they were all drinking).They all carried some sort of responsibility if not to each other at least to themselves. This was a horrible unfortunate accident, but that is exactly what it was an accident. I agree with Juror #5 they are many ways to be punished aside from spending 20 years in prison, and Ms. De Leon has a handful of them for the rest of herlife not just 20 years or even the 2 years she was given. I would hope all the people who wanted to make an “example” out of Ms. De Leon do not end up onsomeone else’sjury or in irony have someone like themselves on a jury they are depending on for compassion and understanding. My heart breaks for all the families involved.My last comment is about the Beer Depot they were buying their alcohol. I have heard nothing on placing some blame on them for selling to these MINORS and whatconsequences they should suffer.

KVIA Viewer,

Kristin

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“Evereyone was drinking and DeLeon was the only one who hadher seatbelt on”. It does not matter if the others were drinking too or whether they had there seatbelts on or not. What matters is that DeLeon was

1. Underage

2. Drunk

3. Driving behind the wheel.

She is responsible for all of them. Shame on the jury. I bet if one of the jurors kids got killed in a DWI crash, they would want him/her to serve a lifetime in jail and they would be angry if he/she got 2 years in jail.

-Roman

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DeLeon may have got off in court

but she will rot in Hell for all eternity….her fate is waiting her…and there is no escape…

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I am completely DISGUSTED with the verdict. No wonder El Paso has a huge problem with drunk drivers and teen drinking, there is just no punishment. No one has the right to take another’s life and De Leon took five lives away and she only gets two years in prison?I am losing my faith in the justice system.

Anonymous

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COMMENT: From Las Cruces,

About the Deleon TrialI have wondered thiswhole time..

The blame is all on thisDeLeon girl, what about the person that was pregnantif they were all drunk why didn’t shedrive?

They wereALL at FAULT for being irresponsible for there actions. DeLeon will have to deal withthis therest of her life, has anybody thought about what she had to say during thistime? It was avery sad car accident.Deleonmy prayers are with you and your family as well as your friends familiesthat you last that night..

J.S in Las Cruces

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I read in the El Paso Times that Abigail DeLeon and her friends purchased their alcohol at a beer depot in Fabens on that tragic evening. If this is true, why are law enforcement officials not going after the beer depot business for selling alcohol to minors? I am not pleased at all with the sentence handed out. However, I would also be equally disturbed if no legal action is taken place on this business. Could a follow – up on this be looked into?Scott

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Has anybody bothered to ask where these under-aged young people got thealcohol?

Miguel

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The message the verdict sends to the community is horrifying: Drink and drive, kill someone, no big deal,be out in a few months. Very scary.

That is exactlywhat happened in this case. Do the crime pay the time did not apply here. Atrocious.

Cynthia

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I thought we lived in a country where people were judged by their peers, meaning the people that are chosen to serve as jurors of our court system. I think the jury did a terrific job and should be able to go on with their lives with a sense of satisfaction. It is easy for the rest of us not derving as jurors, to judge those who do. De Leon got what the jury of this great County of El Paso thought was appropriate and that is what we all have to live with, including the County Attorneys.

El Pacheco

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This is exactly what is going on in this society, the bleeding heart liberals refused to punish the law breakers appropriately. The DeLeon case will be seen by the young people that it is okay to break any law because this society will not punish you for the wrongs you do. All you get is a “time out”, a slap on the wrists and tell you go on the lives you took did not mean anything. The only punishment appropriate for Abigail DeLeon is for the families of the lives losts by her inappropriate actions to take her to civil court and make sure she pays financially for the rest of her natural life.Danilo

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I did know everyone in the DeLeon accident…Nobody knows what affect this has done on the families and friends of the 4 people that died that night. Abi is a very sorry for what she has done, She and I remained friends after the accident even though one of my closest friends was killed in that accident. Very few people know what happened that night, and not to forget they were all drinking. It could have been any of them driving. I miss my bestfriend, however, Abi does have to live with this the rest of her life, knowing she killed 4 of her closest friends. THAT RIGHT THERE IS HARD ENOUGH FOR HER. Myself knowing everyone that is involved and knowing Abi personally, i know that the punishment did fit the crime.

–friend of both Abi, and victims

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Hi I am writing to you Kvia because I am one of the victims cousins that died that day in fabens and he was the brother in law of De Leon . I know that the sentence wasn’t what we all expected but I also and my family knew that it was just a very bad accident and I my self forgive her. My cousin is now in peace and she will remember everyday of what happened.

Thank you for hearing me out and God bless you all in Kvia!!

cousin of victim

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Good afternoon,

Please help me understand because I am at a loss for words. How can a woman who is found guilty of five counts intoxicated manslaughter be sentenced to only 2 years in prison while there are two Border Patrol (or former Border Patrol) agents who are facing the possibility of life in prison for their case in the shooting of an illegal immigrant who was crossing the border while smuggling drugs into the country?

I will be following the news in this case to find out what the sentencing is for these two agents who were doing their, which was protecting our border. Hopefully, justice will be fair when I compare the sentencing for these two agents versus the sentencing of a conviction of 5 counts of intoxicated manslaughter.

KVIA viewer

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My sympathy to Abigail DeLeon and family. My condolences to the deceased and irresponsible parents. As mentioned in an interview with a parent, they were aware their children and friends would party and drink alcoholic beverages at a nearby cemetery. I find this to be disrespectful and sacrilegious, showing their poor upbringing and poor education which begins at home by the parents.The underage [for drinking alcohol] deceased were very irresponsible on their part, especially Chavez who at 19 years of age already had a child and was expecting another. She acted very irresponsible in not caring for the young child left at home and hurting her unborn child by drinking while pregnant. No common sense on her behalf.Abigail survived, suffering the consequences. Her brother is right in saying it could have happened to anybody. This is something Abigail has to live with the rest of her life. I am almost sure everyone was having a great time before the accident. Why were they not using the mandatory seat belts required by law? Everyone seems to think “It won’t happen to Me.”A concerned viewer who enjoys “Gary listens”.

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This is for ABC 7 Listens- I am appalled at the verdict this lady received. How can 2 years make up for what she did, I realize it was a tragic accident, but she knew she was drinking and driving.

She has hurt so many people and damaged so many lives. I hope once she has done her time, she never forgets what she has done.Two years, ridiculous! How is she going to sleep at night knowing her friends will notget married, will not be successful in life, will not have kids,the unborn child will not have a BDAY party, graduation!What about justice for them????? How isshe going to explain this tragedy to her kids?

WAKE UP, DRINKING DAMAGES LIVES AND HURTS PEOPLE!!!

Concerned parent,

Gonzalez Family

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The verdict in the DeLeon trial is one of the most abhorrent miscarriages of justice handed down in recent memory. She should have been sentenced to the maximum term, considering she killed 4 others and an unborn child.

It is however, very much in line with the permissive attitude of people toward drunk driving. Her sister’s statement that, “it was just an unfortunate accident” is not only naive but absurd. No crash resulting from drunk driving is an “accident”.

This’slap on the wrist’ adjudicationsends thewrong message tothe thousands who think it is OK to drink and drive.

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Let’s see…in Las Cruces, a male gets 72 years in prison for molesting a female 10 years ago. In El Paso, a female gets 2 years in prison for killing 4 people and an unborn child…Where is the justice??

Joe in Las Cruces

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Dear Gary,

I can not believe how easy Miss Deleon is getting off.

She was driving while intoxicated!!!Five lives were lost and this is all she gets! What kind of an example are we giving our youth…that you can drive drunk and accidently kill your friends and get off with a slap on the wrist…this verdict is a slap in the face for all the family and friends of those killed!!!!

Disgusted Fabens resident

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I am outraged as I hear that DeLeon only got a 2 year sentence for

killing five people! This is the example that we are setting for our

youth that is constantly making horrible decisions about drinking and

driving. El Paso’s courts are doing a fine job of showing us that

drinking and driving is no big deal! No wonder El Paso continues to

have problems with drunks killing innocent people on our roads!! El

Paso needs to show that they are not going to put up with these kinds

of people by giving them harsher sentences when convicted. DeLeon

gets to go on with her life after two years (who are we kidding one if

she behaves) what about the five people that she killed! They didn’t

get a jury!

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If I know I can’t drink and maintain control of my senses and I drink anyway, why am I not responsible for any ill arriving from that action? An empty pistol is just a harmless piece of metal until it is loaded; then it become a lethal weapon. The average human is also rather harmless until he is loaded with too much liquor. Drinking alcohol is the same as loading a pistol, and whatever action follows should bear the onus of criminal intent.

Whatever happened to accepting responsiblility for one’s action? It seems that driving drunkhas become a crime punishible by a slap on the wrist. I doubt the victim’s family receives much consolation from thatfeeble a penalty.

Stacey