FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The penalty phase for the man who admitted to killing a Hollywood police officer in 2021 continued Monday.
The defense for Jason Banegas delivered its case to the jury as Banegas faces the possibility of the death penalty, saying he came from a broken home and was a product of rape as his mother was human trafficked.
Banegas’ attorneys also discussed how mental health played a big role in his life and said he had previously tried to take his own life.
Banegas and his siblings also faced food insecurity growing up, according to the defense.
“And she will tell you that Ingrid left the kids playing without food,” defense attorney Kristin Richman told the jury. “And Xenia will tell you that sometimes it was bad -- that sometimes Kat and Jason would call her because they were hungry and didn’t know what to do.”
Banegas pleaded guilty to fatally shooting Officer Yandy Chirino, 28, on Oct. 17, 2021, as Chirino responded to a call about a suspicious person in the 4000 block of North Hills Drive checking for unlocked cars.
“Moments that were once full of joy — birthdays, holidays, even simple family dinners — now come with a heaviness that overshadows everything,” a letter written by Chirino’s sister, which was read in court last week, stated.
The jury also heard from two doctors Monday.
One reviewed Chirino’s wounds and another testified about brain development and impulsivity, explaining the areas that control emotion, risk, and decision-making don’t fully mature until the mid-20s.
Banegas was only 18 years old at the time of the shooting.
He’s already pled guilty, but now the jury will decide whether he gets the death penalty.
His sister is expected to testify on Tuesday regarding their childhood and daily home life at that time.
On Friday, Chirino’s mother, father and sister were too overcome with emotion to speak in court, so their letters were read aloud.
“My brother, my little angel, was one of the most generous and kind-hearted people I have ever known,” the letter from his sister read. “He had an ability to see the best in everyone.”
Chirino’s sister described a young officer who tried to “live a great story,” and a loss so deep, she says, it still feels unreal.
“What happened to my brother did not just end his life -- it fractured ours,” she wrote.
The court also heard from Chirino’s girlfriend of two years, Chelsey Howell, who opened up about the trauma she’s carried since that night.
“The emotional trauma of the night of October 17th is something that will play in my mind for the rest of my life,” she said.
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