A St. Louis man has been handed a 27-year prison sentence for a 2024 Valentine’s Day crash that claimed the lives of a mother and daughter. Monte Henderson, a 23-year-old from Kirkwood, was driving his Jeep Grand Cherokee at speeds reportedly exceeding 70 mph when the fatal collision occurred. The victims, 42-year-old Laticha Liz Bracero and her 21-year-old daughter, Alyssa Angel Cordova, were hit as they crossed Olive Street and North 18th Street, according to information obtained by the Circuit Attorney’s Office.
On the night of the incident, Henderson failed to adhere to multiple traffic signals and was observed erratically weaving around other vehicles before striking Bracero and Cordova. The aftermath of the crash, captured by surveillance cameras from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's Real Time Crime Center, showed Henderson running several red lights before the deadly impact. Data recovered from the Jeep's airbag control module confirmed the vehicle to be traveling 74 miles per hour upon entering the intersection. In a legal move, on July 8, Henderson pled guilty to two counts each of first-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action.
"Reckless driving destroys lives. At 70 miles per hour, a car becomes a weapon, and the impact reaches far beyond the crash itself. Nothing can make this right, but this sentence hopefully delivers some solace to the loved ones of Laticha Bracero and Alyssa Cordova," said St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore, in a statement that underscores the gravity of the consequence faced by Henderson. The successful prosecution was led by Tanja Engelhardt, Homicide Unit Chief; Adam Field, Violent Crime Unit Supervisor; and Carolyn Chkautovich, Homicide Unit Deputy Chief, as reported by the Circuit Attorney’s Office. The collective efforts of the officials aimed to assertively prosecute those who choose to put community members in peril with reckless actions behind the wheel.
The sentencing stands not just as a punitive measure but as a stark warning against the dangers of negligent driving. While no court ruling can fully repair the tear in the fabric of a family left to mourn the sudden loss, officials like Gore hope that such judgements will at least "hopefully delivers some solace" to those left behind, as he expressed in his testimony.
