The ex-girlfriend of the driver of a stolen car that injured seven people in a brutal Manhattan police chase broke down in tears as she criticized in court the decision to release a young woman on bail in a domestic violence case.
The ex-partner of suspected car thief Kyle Fernandez became emotional and could be seen crying silently as Manhattan ADA Megan Dunnigan read a victim impact statement in Manhattan Supreme Court on Thursday. Ta.
“Two years ago, I experienced one of the most traumatic days of my life,” the statement read. “Kyle Fernandez, a man I once trusted, pushed, punched, and broke me in violent acts that scared me and left me defenseless.”
The attack occurred on January 16, 2023, and Fernandez punched the victim, tore off her necklace, smashed her cellphone and slashed her wrist with the cracked screen, according to the criminal complaint.
Fernandez, 20, was out on bail after allegedly stealing a car and driving drunk during a terrifying police pursuit on August 1, 2019, injuring seven people.
On Thursday, Fernandez was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for both domestic violence and drunk driving.
His girlfriend, who wished to remain anonymous, blamed the “system” that allowed Fernandez to get drunk on bail money and hit pedestrians, including children, with his car in the first place.
“I have lived my life knowing that those who harmed me and others were given multiple chances despite the threat they posed to public safety,” the statement continued. “This experience highlights how the system often delays justice for victims of domestic violence, thereby endangering the safety of others.”
He posted bail in both cases, but it was set at $7,500 for the assault charge and $50,000 for the DUI charge.
Fernandez's ex-girlfriend added that Fernandez “has repeatedly demonstrated that he lacks the empathy and understanding necessary to be a safe and responsible member of society.”
She urged courts and the judicial system to “reflect on this incident” and called for swift action to be taken in domestic violence cases.
Mr. Fernandez did not bother to apologize to his ex-girlfriend when given the opportunity to speak in court.
But he complained about how the case was “dragging on”, prompting an incredulous Judge Althea Drysdale to cut him off.
“Are you saying the case is dragging on when there are two indictments in court?” she said.
At a previous hearing, Dunnigan said Fernandez exhibited “extremely egregious behavior” during the evening rush hour when he drove his car onto the pavement in an attempt to evade police.
He said he admitted to being high on drugs when he allegedly sped away in a stolen car, ran a red light, drove the wrong way down a one-way street near Grand Central and hit a bicyclist.
The vehicle then allegedly ran onto the sidewalk at the intersection of Lexington Avenue and East 42nd Street, struck a vehicle and struck multiple pedestrians.
“Things happen,” Fernandez, appearing in Manhattan criminal court after the August 2023 assault, tweeted when asked by the Post why he did what he did.
