FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Emotional testimony continued Friday in the sentencing hearing for Jah’Kobe Bessent, with the defendant’s stepmother and a psychologist taking the stand.

Nicole Bessent, the 19-year-old’s stepmother, testified that she and Jah’Kobe’s father tried to gain custody of him after noticing behavioral issues when he was a child.

Family members testified Thursday that Bessent’s home life was troubled, something they said his father tried to steer him away from.

The court also heard about Bessent’s school history, which included more than 40 behavioral incidents.

A local psychologist testified that Bessent’s troubled upbringing and ADHD diagnosis made him more susceptible to the path that led to his crimes. The psychologist also told the court there was physical abuse in the home.

Bessent is being sentenced in connection with an August 2022 crash that killed Maria Tellez Valderrabano, a 35-year-old single mother of three.

Prosecutors said Bessent, who was 15 at the time, was driving a stolen vehicle while fleeing from police. Authorities said Bessent and another teenager first broke into a home while the residents were sleeping and stole a vehicle before crashing it, killing Valderrabano.

The court is also expected to hear testimony from Bessent himself and members of the victim’s family later Friday.

Emotional testimony continues in Jah’Kobe Bessent sentencing

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Samiar Nefzi