Freeport Man Pleads Guilty to DWI Crash that Killed Six-Year-Old Girl

A Freeport man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, assault, and other charges related to an August 2023 drunken crash in West Hempstead that resulted in the death of a six-year-old girl.

Jorge Bonilla Gutierrez, 18, entered a guilty plea on Wednesday before Judge Terence Murphy to Manslaughter, Assault and Driving While Intoxicated Per Se

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on July 30 , with an expected term of six to 12 years in prison. The NCDA has recommended a sentence ranging from six to 15 years.

“Jorge Bonilla Gutierrez was more than two times the legal limit for alcohol when he flew through a red light and slammed into the back of a Toyota Corolla, sending the vehicle into a tree and killing six-year-old Katerine Vanges Hernandez,” said DA Donnelly.

“Katerine’s mother had taken her children out for an early-morning drive to help them sleep and cool down from the summer heat. Last August was a horrific time on our roadways, tragically claiming multiple lives, including Katerine’s just two days shy of her seventh birthday. We continue to implore motorists not to drink and drive this summer.”

On August 7, 2023, around 2:20 a.m., the defendant, while intoxicated and speeding, drove through a red light and hit the rear of the victim’s car, a Toyota Corolla, which was stopped with hazard lights on in the right lane of Hempstead Turnpike near Westminster Road. The impact pushed the Corolla off the road and into a tree, while the defendant’s Nissan Pathfinder flipped several times.

The crash caused significant internal injuries to six-year-old Katerine Vanegas Hernandez, who was later pronounced dead at NYU Langone Long Island Hospital.

The victim’s five-year-old brother suffered a fractured spine, and the driver of the Corolla sustained multiple broken ribs.

A Nassau County Police Department officer apprehended Bonilla Gutierrez near the crash scene. Empty beer cans were found inside and around his vehicle. He was taken to Nassau University Medical Center for treatment of broken ribs and a broken nose.

A search warrant revealed the defendant’s blood alcohol content was 0.17% one hour after the crash.

Deputy Bureau Chief Katie Zizza of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau is prosecuting the case, with the defendant represented by Taryn Schechter, Esq.