A woman pardoned less than two weeks ago by President Trump has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing a person while drunk driving.
Emily Hernandez, 25, was driving at double the legal alcohol limit on the wrong side of a Missouri highway in 2022 when she struck and killed another driver and injured the driver's husband, who was also in the car.
Following her federal pardon for her role in the Capitol riots, where she stole a sign from Nancy Pelosi's office, she was taken back to court in Franklin County, Missouri for her pending drunk driving charges and sent back to prison.
Why It Matters
Hernandez is now the fourth pardoned rioter to be either wanted or apprehended by police following the president's pardon less than two weeks ago.
The president has been criticized by people on both sides of the aisle for issuing a blanket pardon to more than 1,500 people who stormed the Capitol, including people who committed acts of violence against the police.
What To Know
Hernandez was sentenced to 45 days in prison and a $500 fine following her role in the January 6 riots, which included stealing a part of Nancy Pelosi's office sign which had been pried off of her door.
According to her court filings, she "proudly" displayed the sign "like a trophy."
She pleaded guilty to her January 6 charges on January 10, 2022, just five days after causing a fatal car crash that killed 32-year-old Victoria Wilson and injured her husband Ryan E. Wilson.
On top of her 10 year sentence for killing Victoria Wilson, she received another 7 year sentence for injuring Ryan Wilson which she will serve concurrently.
According to a truck driver who witnessed the crash, Hernandez was driving at about 60 miles per hour down the wrong lane of the interstate, and the crash looked like an explosion.
Three other freed Capitol rioters have either been apprehended by, killed by, or are on the run from police in the past two weeks.
Matthew Huttle, who assaulted law enforcement on Jan 6, was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop. According to the police, he had a firearm in his car.
Andrew Taake, who attacked police with bear spray and a whip on January 6, is on the run from police and is wanted for a child sex charge, which was filed against him in Texas in 2016.
Daniel Ball, who allegedly threw an explosive at the police during the riot, was re-arrested on federal gun charges from 2023.
What People Are Saying
Emily Hernandez said at her sentencing, per the St Louis Post Dispatch: "What I did was ungodly and I will live with that shame for the rest of my life. I am sorry for what I did and if I could take it all back, I would."
Victoria Wilson's mother, per the Post Dispatch: "[Her death] is the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing I think about each night. When I lost Vickie, I lost a part of me."
What Happens Next
Hernandez will spend 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to her drunk driving charges.
In terms of other January 6 rioters, Senator Lindsay Graham raised concerns that more violence will arise from the freed attempted insurrectionists.
One militia group which was present at the riots, the Three Percenters, has seen a rise in recruitment following January 6, per ProPublica. The son of one Three Percenter who has been pardoned says he is "terrified" of his father being released.
Another freed rioter, Jacob Chansley, has said now he is free he is going to buy some "mothaf****ing guns."
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