Man sentenced in 2009 hit-and-run case

MIAMI (WSVN) -- A man has been sentenced after he stuck and killed a little girl and then took off.

Harvey Abraham was sentenced Thursday afternoon in the case where he struck and killed 11-year-old Ashley Valdez on January 2009. Abraham left her for dead and took off and tried to cover-up the evidence in his vehicle. He was caught eight days later.

Valdez' mother faced Abraham in court. "I had never wanted a life sentence for this man even though I have been given a life sentence because of this man's actions," said Donay Rosete.

Abraham's daughter begged the judge for leniency. "Please, your honor, let him come home. He never meant to hurt anyone. He would never do that," she said.

Abraham pleaded to Rosete that he was truly sorry for what he had done. "I am truly sorry. I don't know what else I can do or whatever you need me to do, whether is me going home or me going to jail," said Abraham.

Valdez' cousin called her an angel. "Everything we had hoped for and dreamed about was gone in a blink of an eye," said Jamie Labanino. "Our future, getting famous, graduating, getting married and having three children, and so much more that we were looking forward to is all lost."

The judge sentenced Abraham to six years in state prison followed by eight years probation.

Valdez' mother and Abraham's attorney called the decision justice. "I've been blessed because it's the highest [penalty] for this type of crime being that we don't know if he was under the influence of alcohol or not because he wasn't caught at the moment," said Rosete.

"I think it could have been a little lower, but it was a fair sentence," said Abraham's Lawyer.

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