JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The video attached to this story is from our previous coverage of this case.
A woman charged in a high-speed police chase and crash that lead to the death of her 5-year-old daughter is now mentally competent to stand trial.
Pamela Cabrera was in court Wednesday for the first time since a judge found her mentally incompetent in September, based on the recommendation of a psychologist.
Cabrera was supposed to go to a state mental hospital in an effort to restore her mental competence. She was never transferred. But her public defenders told Judge Meredith Carbula that Cabrera appears competent and capable of understanding the case against her.
A final determination won't be made until she can be evaluated by a psychologist. A review hearing is scheduled for Jan. 3.
According to police, Cabrera lead Jacksonville Sheriff's Officers on a chase across the city on March 31 after kidnapping her 5-year-old daughter, Vanity.
According to Cabrera's family, there was an altercation at the family home earlier in the day. The chase began in North Jacksonville and ended in a retention pond near 9B and Durbin Creek after she “failed to negotiate” a turn and crashed into the water. The chase lasted 30 miles.
Cabrera managed to escape the sinking vehicle, according to the incident report, but, “made no attempt to try to rescue her daughter, who was trapped in the front seat of the vehicle.”
Cabrera lost custody of her daughter in 2020, police records show. Vanity had been living with family members due to her mother's persistent mental health issues. A court filing indicates her attorneys intend to rely on an insanity defense, citing "Chronic Severe Bipolar Disorder, Type 1 with Psychotic Features" and "Schizoaffective Disorder, Bipolar Type."
Cabrera is charged with vehicular homicide, aggravated manslaughter of a child, aggravated felony fleeing causing death or serious injury, battery on a law enforcement officer and battery on an emergency medical care provider.