A woman who is serving a 1-year term for killing her passenger following the Dixie Chicks concert in Chula Vista was ordered June 29 to pay $15,471 in restitution for the funeral of Kendra Rakdham and transportation of her family members.
Gabrielle Jones, 34, is serving her sentence in the Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility in Santee and waived her presence at the restitution hearing in which her attorney represented her before Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Francis Devaney.
Her projected release is Dec. 1, according to the sheriff’s department. She was sentenced to a year in jail June 2 after Devaney rejected the request by Deputy District Attorney Laura Evans for a 6-year prison term.
A review of the restitution to see if she owes any more has been set for Aug. 30. Jones pleaded guilty Feb. 24 to drunk driving with injury, and a gross vehicular manslaughter charge was dismissed.
Rakdham, 39, who was also known as Kendra Carpenter, died July 15, 2016 after Jones left the Sleep Train Amphitheater following the Dixie Chicks concert at 11:53 p.m. in the 4000 block of Main Street. Jones’ blood-alcohol level was .15 at the scene, which is almost twice the legal limit for drunk driving.
Jones’ attorney, Gretchen von Helms, said the road was partly to blame because three lanes narrowed into two lanes without much notice. Jones struck a utility box, which crumpled the front passenger seat. The box had no reflective materials. Von Helms said the city has corrected the road since.
Jones has also agreed to “spread the word” about the dangers of drunk driving and will speak about it at high schools and colleges as part of performing 200 hours of community service. She is also banned from drinking alcohol on terms of five years probation.
“This story needs to be shared, so this doesn’t keep happening,” said Jones to the judge during the 2-hour sentencing on June 2. “My best friend died, and I can’t undo that…I’ll never forgive myself.”
