Man Gets 6 Years in Hit-and-Run Crash That Killed 11-Year-Old in Kendall

Harvey Carlos Abraham got six years in prison

The man convicted in the hit-and-run crash that killed an 11-year-old girl in Kendall more than four years ago was sentenced to six years in prison and eight years probation on Thursday.

Harvey Carlos Abraham, 37,  was found guilty in November on felony charges of leaving the scene of an accident involving death and tampering with physical evidence in the January 2009 crash that killed Ashley Valdes.

Valdes had been crossing the street in the area of Southwest 80th Street and 149th Avenue when she was struck by a white pickup truck being driven by Abraham, who didn't stop and fled the scene, police said.

Valdes was rushed to Miami Children's Hospital where she later died.

Authorities searched for some eight days before finding and arresting Abraham.

"You never turned back. I'm filled with questions. You stated you thought you hit a dog when my daughter landed on your hood. You tried to cover up your crime and you lied," said Adonay Rosete, Ashley's mother in court.

"She was my everything. She would make me laugh, make me scream so hard I would just say I love you so much. Ashley was a person I could go to with all my secrets and becasue I'm an only child that means so much to me," said Ashley's cousin Jamie Labanino.

In court on Thursday, Abraham's brother said he was a good man.

"My brother is a good man. He's a father, husband, and he cares about everyone," said Timothy Abraham.

Family friend Judy Boyete also spoke on Abraham's behalf on Thursday.

"Harvey was not himself when he made those poor choices, and surely we know that good people quite often make bad decision," Boyete said.

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