The Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners is preparing to decide whether former Raiders receiver Henry Ruggs should be released from prison, reopening a wrenching chapter in Las Vegas nearly three years after the 2021 crash that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog. Ruggs is serving a three-to-ten-year sentence after pleading guilty to felony DUI resulting in death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the board recently added Ruggs' file to its agenda as he approaches the point at which Nevada law allows parole consideration. Ruggs pleaded guilty in May 2023 and in August 2023 was sentenced to three to ten years in state prison, as reported by ABC News.
Prosecutors say Ruggs' Corvette was traveling up to 156 mph when it slammed into the back of Tintor's Toyota on South Rainbow Boulevard on Nov. 2, 2021, igniting her vehicle and killing her and her dog, according to The Associated Press. Ruggs has since expressed remorse in public remarks, telling a Las Vegas audience, "I wish that I could turn back the hands of time," a statement the AP captured.
What the parole board will weigh
The Nevada board considers factors such as institutional behavior, completion of required programs and victim impact when deciding on parole, and it invites written comments from the public, according to the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners. Local reporting has noted that Ruggs participated in prison work programs and was transferred among facilities while completing treatment that could be evaluated by commissioners, including a transition phase at Casa Grande transitional housing near Allegiant Stadium, as reported in transition phase at Casa Grande.
Family reaction
Tintor's relatives and victim advocates have indicated they will push the board to keep the family's loss front and center in any decision. At sentencing, Tintor's cousin Daniel Strbac called the death "every parent's worst nightmare," remarks reported by ABC News.
What happens next
The board says members of the public can submit written testimony or attend the hearing to speak, and commissioners can delay a decision if they decide they need more information. Ruggs' earliest parole-eligibility date is Aug. 5, 2026, according to Nevada Department of Corrections records reported by NBC Sports. Eligibility does not guarantee release; under state rules, commissioners can grant parole, deny it or set a new review date.
