Rosa Rivera Kim, 37, of Plantation entered pleas of guilty to the two counts of DUI manslaughter she faced in the death of the 26-year-old Alanna DeMella and her unborn child. DeMella was seven months pregnant at the time of the crash. Kim has been sentenced to fifteen years for the crime.
DeMella was killed in 2012 when Kim drunkenly drove her car into a poolside cabana at the Riverside Hotel in Fort Lauderdale.
DeMella was in town with her husband Michael after winning a weekend getaway to attend a marriage conference at the Calvary Chapel. Michael was in the restroom at the time of the accident and only suffered minor injuries.
Kim, who has expressed sorrow for her actions in causing the devastating accident, was found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.24, or three times the legal limit in the state of Florida.
Kim, herself, became pregnant close to five months ago and is due in May. Her child will be turned over to her family as she serves the remainder of her sentence. DeMella’s family viewed Kim’s recent pregnancy as nothing more than a ploy for sympathy during her trial. State Attorney, Michael Horowitz, called Kim’s pregnancy “appalling and manipulative.”
DeMella, a schoolteacher, was active in her school’s Students Against Drunk Driving (S.A.D.D.) chapter. Upon release, Kim will also have to serve community service and has also permanently lost her driver’s license.
If you or someone you care about has been involved in an auto-related accident, please contact our experience attorneys for a consultation.
The Schulman Law Group – (954) 349-3300 or at info@www.schulaw.com
