DETROIT – A 42-year-old man was sentenced after he ran over and killed an 81-year-old man in Detroit back in July, 2016.
Tywaun Coakley, 42, was sentenced in the death of 81-year-old Roberto Ybarra Monday. The sentencing was supposed to be held at 9 a.m. but was pushed to 12:30 p.m. after the defense attorney for Coakley, Terry Price, asked for more time to review the sentencing guidelines. Price wanted a day, but Judge Vonda Evans gave him an hour and that led to an exchange of words.
When court was back in session, Price went on a tirade against Ybarra and his family saying Ybarra was an "old thief," and accused him of trying to steal from his client, Coakley.
"It's always interesting that people come out of nowhere and claim innocence of their thieving grandfather. Sure, they want him to be a good guy, but we don't know that. He was in somebody's car. He wasn't helping anybody. He was going in somebody's car. These people [Ybarra's family] should have been watching their grandfather instead of having him run around the streets doing whatever," Price said directed to the victim's family.
Judge Evans cut him off and allowed Coakley to speak who said he was drunk that night, pulled over and fell asleep and woke up to see Ybarra in his car.
"He was in my car and the officer asked me what he was doing and I said I didn't know what he was doing but me and him just began fighting we never said nothing that's what happened. I had no time to think and to get mad to run somebody over. He was just blocking me in. I want the family to understand I'm telling the truth about that," he said.
Judge Evans handed Coakley a sentence of 3.5 to 15 years in prison and Price had another outburst.
Ybarra's family is not pleased with the sentence.
"It just wasn't fair. Justice wasn't given to our father today. My dad's life was given 3.5 to 15. We got no justice here today and we're just going to have to continue to fight for my father and the good man that he was and now we can start our grieving," Tanya Hensley, the daughter of Roberto Ybarra said.
Coakley's family said they accept the sentence, but are torn about what happened.
"He was very remorseful in there. He didn't wake up to kill someone. It's very unfortunate and I feel sorry for the family. We all do," said Carlos Mayes, the cousin of Coakley.