A Gainesville woman found guilty in July of a 2023 fatal hit-and-run crash involving a pedestrian on a service road in Butler Plaza was sentenced Tuesday to more than four decades in prison.
Jaileen Damaris Pagan, 27, asked for leniency in an Aug. 25 letter to Judge James Colaw, writing that while “these are serious allegations … I don’t believe I should spend the rest of my life in prison. … “
Pagan also maintained her innocence.
“Although, I know I can’t change the verdict as of right now, I want to inform you that I do indeed plan on continuing to fight for my freedom and for the truth to come out because I didn’t commit this crime,” she wrote. “But I know soon enough everything will come to light.”
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Pagan’s letter did nothing to help her cause, with Colaw sentencing her to the maximum of 45 years in prison — 15 years for vehicular homicide and 30 years for leaving the scene of an accident involving death — court records show. The sentences will run consecutively.
The fatal incident occurred about 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 15, 2023, in a parking and delivery area behind the Florida Lottery District Office in the same section of Butler Plaza as Target.
Police officers arrived at the scene and found a man, later identified as Garry Pugh, who had been struck by a vehicle. Pugh was taken to UF Health Shands Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Law enforcement used surveillance video in the plaza to identify the vehicle as a light green 2010 Hyundai Sonata, which was eventually found on Sept. 30. Inside the vehicle police found Pagan’s birth certificate and other personal items.
Before the fatal hit-and-run, Pagan is accused of stealing items from the Walmart at 2900 SW 42nd St.
In a separate case previously scheduled for jury selection in August, Pagan faces two counts of aggravated assault, drug possession, firing a weapon from a vehicle and domestic battery. Jury selection has now been rescheduled for Oct. 21.
In that case, police say Pagan fired a handgun at two people and pulled one of the victim’s hair. Police say Pagan attempted to pull one of the victims into the car before going for her gun. After the two victims fled, police located Pagan and searched her. They found what she told police was a broken Xanax pill and a small white rock of heroin or fentanyl, the police report said.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville woman sentenced to 45 years for 2023 fatal ht-and-run
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