” We desire him charged to the max extent of the law,” Liebert said. “They do not desire him to have the capital punishment. They desire him to remain in prison without the possibility of parole.”
The incident occurred on Sunday, Aug. 24, around 9 a.m., when 17-year-old Katelynn Strate– who was about 28 weeks pregnant– was riding in a Ford Expedition with 2 others in the Ponchatoula location north of New Orleans, according to the Tangipahoa Parish Constable’s Office.
Police say Katelynn’s vehicle came across Barry West, 54, who was driving a silver Dodge truck. A preliminary statement claimed the 2 automobiles were tailgating and brake-checking each other. However Katie Cancienne Liebert, a close family good friend, says that is not real. She insists that Katelynn’s partner, 19-year-old Alain Cruz– the dad of her baby– was not brake-checking and did not escalate the situation.
Loved ones are speaking up after a pregnant Louisiana teen was shot in the head during a supposed road rage occurrence last month. Before she died, doctors delivered her child through an emergency C-section.
Liebert described the heartbreaking scene: “He’s a 19-year-old kid, and he viewed his 17-year-old girlfriend, who he loves, get shot in the head. She was looking at him the whole method to the healthcare facility, having a hard time to breathe, holding his hand.”
They called her death a “avoidable disaster” that deserves justice.
The child woman’s name has actually not been shared openly, but Liebert stated that part of it implies “wonder”– or milagro– in Spanish. In spite of her premature birth, the baby is doing better than anticipated.
On Monday, Aug. 25, the sheriff’s office said Katelynn’s baby had been provided by emergency C-section and was in steady condition at a neonatal intensive care unit. The following day, officials verified that Katelynn had passed away. Her household picked to contribute her organs, stating in a statement: “Her generosity will conserve lives, and we are exceptionally pleased with her for that final act of compassion.”
Katelynn’s mom, Kristen Nicole Blow, is now caring for her granddaughter and prepares to co-parent along with Cruz as he recuperates from the trauma. “Katelynn’s old bed room– they’re keeping her bed so that he [Cruz] can come by whenever and oversleep that bed and be with his infant,” Liebert discussed.
West was first apprehended on multiple counts of attempted second-degree murder, along with unlawful usage of a weapon and obstruction of justice. After Katelynn’s death, the charges were upgraded to include second-degree murder. It is not yet clear if West has gone into a plea or worked with an attorney.
When Cruz realized Katelynn had been shot, he right away called 911 and drove her to the medical facility.
Liebert remembered Katelynn as funny, outgoing, and always quick with returns. “When you were around her, it was just laughter,” she stated. She likewise noted how fired up Katelynn was to become a mom, saying she had already begun preparing for her child’s future.
A GoFundMe to support Katelynn’s household has raised more than $55,000.
” The baby’s dad is getting death hazards and being informed he deserves to pass away because he put his pregnant girlfriend in danger, when in reality, that day, he was a hero,” Liebert informed individuals.
According to authorities, West fired one shot into Katelynn’s car, striking her as she beinged in the front guest seat. Investigators later on validated nobody in Katelynn’s car had a weapon and that no other shots were fired.
Over the weekend, the household had held a child shower. They have considering that picked to contribute additional child presents to the Repair Home Pregnancy Resource Center in Hammond, Louisiana, to support other moms.
About the Author
