Woman ‘made no attempt’ to rescue daughter after chase that ended with crash into pond: arrest report

Report also says Pamela Cabrera spit blood in faces of paramedic, hospital staffer

Pamela Cabrera (Jacksonville Sheriff's Office)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 32-year-old woman “made no attempt” to rescue her 5-year-old daughter after she crashed Thursday into a retention pond off Interstate 95 near the State Road 9B exit following a police pursuit, according to Duval County court records.

Pamela Cabrera, 32, is charged with one count of vehicular homicide, one count of eluding police and two counts of battery on first responders.

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According to police, the 5-year-old -- who family identified as Cabrera’s daughter, Vanity -- was kidnapped, and Cabrera led officers on a 30-mile chase that hit speeds over 90 mph from Jacksonville’s Northside that came to an end when the SUV that she was driving went into the retention pond near the Duval County-St. Johns County line.

According to a less redacted arrest report for Cabrera that News4JAX found Tuesday in Duval County court records, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said that when police reached the pond, Cabrera was clinging to a tire and yelling, “Help me. Save me.”

She “made no attempt to try to rescue her daughter,” who was trapped in the front passenger seat, according to the report. That’s where the dive team found the girl’s body, the report said.

When Cabrera was rescued from the pond, two paramedics tried to cover her up “due to her lack of clothing,” and she responded by spitting blood in the face of one of the paramedics, according to the report.

Later, at UF Health Jacksonville, she also spit blood in the face of one of the medical staff members attending to her, the report states.

Cabrera was booked early Friday into the Duval County jail, where she remained as of Tuesday on $2.2 million bond, according to jail records.

Court records reveal she has had a history with the law and suffers from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. According to court documents, Cabrera lost custody of Vanity in 2020 and has been living with family since then.

Loved ones said Vanity loved dancing and had an infectious laugh and a smile that could light up a room.


About the Authors:

Renee Beninate is a Florida native and award-winning reporter who joined the News4Jax team in June 2021.