A Garden Grove woman with three prior driving-under-the-influence convictions was given the maximum sentence of 15 years to life in a Santa Ana courtroom Friday.
A judge issued the sentence to Courtney Fritz Pandolfi, 44, who struck and killed Yesenia Aguilar, 23, who was 8 months pregnant. Doctors managed to save her baby via emergency C-section. That baby, now 3 years old, was also in the courtroom for Friday's sentencing.
"The hardest thing I had to endure is trying to raise a daughter and try to fill that void you left," James Alvarez spoke directly to Pandolfi. Alvarez is the husband of Aguilar and the father of Adalyn Rose, 3.
Alvarez said he waited nearly 4 years for this moment, which was a chance to address Pandolfi, who prosecutors said was high on a drug cocktail, including cocaine and methamphetamine when she struck Aguilar in August 2020. Aguilar and Alvarez were on an evening walk on Katella Avenue near Bayless Street.
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"You took the opportunity for her to be a mother," said Alvarez.
The family lost a soon-to-be mother, but they said, they gained a miracle.
"The biggest loss is my daughter, and I want you to see who you took," said Alvarez as he brought Adalyn Rose to the podium.
Adalyn Rose hugged her father as he talked about how much she resembles her mother.
"I want you to see the face of my wife in her," said Alvarez. "This is who you ruin her life. She won’t know her Mommy."
Pandolfi looked directly at each family member as they spoke.
"Courtney, you had no right to take her away from us," said Alejandro Aguilar.
For the first time, the public heard from Pandolfi who has three previous DUI convictions.
"I just want to say how very sorry I am to you guys, your family. There is not a day that goes by where I do not think about what I did and how I could have prevented the horrible tragedy that occurred," said Pandolfi. "I affected so many lives that day, and because of my complete selfishness, I know I changed the path of your guys' lives.”
Todd Spitzer, Orange County District Attorney, spoke after the sentencing.
"There are serious consequences when you drink and use your vehicle as a bullet that will kill,” said Spitzer.
A news release from the Orange County District Attorney's office explained that "drivers convicted of driving under the influence in California are required to be given what is known as a Watson advisement that informs them that if they kill someone while driving under the influence they can be charged with murder.
Pandolfi was convicted of driving under the influence of drugs in 2008, in 2015, and in 2016 and she received the Watson advisement all three times.
