Inset: Kamari Jordyn Wolfe (Davis Funeral Homes). Background: Guillermo Chochi Senobua (KLAS/YouTube).
A Nevada man caused an uproar when he claimed to be suffering more than the family of the 5-year-old boy he hit and killed outside a school while he was driving under the influence of alcohol.
Guillermo Chochi Senobua, 47, was sentenced to between five and 12 1/2 years in prison for the death of Kamari Jordyn Wolfe, court records show. Kamari’s mother had dropped the boy, known as KK, off at a North Las Vegas school around 7 a.m. on Oct. 6, 2023, when Senobua drove his work van around cars in the school’s drop-off area and hit him.
According to cops, Senobua’s blood alcohol level was .098. The legal limit in Nevada is .08.
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Senobua pleaded guilty in March to driving a motor vehicle while under the influence resulting in death.
Local media outlets covered Wednesday’s emotional sentencing hearing. Kamari’s mother Jasmyn Wolfe described to the court her pain over losing her son.
“It’s like losing my breath, but never catching it again,” she said. “That day flashes before my eyes every time I close them.”
Senobua’s statement on his own behalf was apparently a rambling screed of remorseless self-pity, according to local CBS affiliate KLAS.
Senobua, speaking through a Spanish translator, caused outrage when he described his life since Kamari’s death.
“I have already lost everything,” Senobua told District Judge Jessica Peterson. “I want them to know that my suffering is worse than theirs.”
Peterson retorted she was “appalled.”
“I can’t even believe what you just said,” the judge exclaimed. “He needs to understand this is not the time and place to try to tell the court why he’s suffering.”
The defense attorney suggested that Senobua’s words might have gotten lost in translation.
Senobua also tried unsuccessfully to show a diagram of the incident and insisted that had he seen Kamari he would not have hit him.
“Had you not jumped out of line in the line of cars and been impatient, it wouldn’t have happened,” Peterson scolded Senobua. “I’ve seen the video. I don’t need a picture.”
The defendant did apologize and asked for forgiveness. But Kamari’s family didn’t believe his remorse was sincere.
Said the boy’s uncle Robert Wolfe: “We do not accept that apology, because it was not heartfelt.”
Kamari’s obituary described him as a “remarkable young boy who touched many lives with his bright smile, infectious laughter, and unconditional love.
“He was always full of joy and had a big heart, making everyone around him feel included and loved,” the obituary said. “He was a natural athlete, playing soccer and baseball and scoring home runs every game, and he had a special love for Transformers, Marvel characters, Huggy Wuggy, Pennywise, and cuddling with his Nana.”
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