ORLANDO, Fla. — A former UCF student was sentenced to 14 years in prison this week after a crash that killed a Sanford man. Angel Dominguez’ family spoke to Channel 9 about the sentencing and their struggle to move on.
“I knew it was him,” said Judy Dominguez. “I knew something had happened to him.”
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Judy Dominguez said she still re-lives that October night when she first found out her brother died. She said she couldn’t believe it and immediately called his phone, only to get voicemail.
“I just remember my little sister just dropping to the floor,” said Dominguez. “I remember my kid sitting on the sofa, not understanding.”
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But it wasn’t until later that she got the details. Troopers said 22-year-old Dean Kornblum was going 142 miles per hour in 2019 in his Audi when he rammed into the back of Angel’s vehicle, causing it to flip multiple times.
The trooper said he could smell alcohol coming from Kornblum’s facial area-- later testing more than twice the legal limit. During their interview -- he told troopers he’d quote “been targeted by Gotham’s finest.” Kornblum said during sentencing that he had also been under the influence of Xanax.
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“It’s bittersweet because we feel like we finally got to close that chapter of our life, that moment that we’ve been living about heavy weight that was over our shoulders for so long,” said Dominguez.
Angel’s family said they don’t want to focus on the nightmare anymore. They’re instead holding onto the good. They ask for his story to be a lasting example to people celebrating this holiday season.
“Understand that there are options for you,” said Dominguez. “There’s Uber, there are Lyfts and things you can do to make sure that you don’t hurt yourself and most importantly, that you don’t do this to another family.”
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In addition to the 14 years in prison, Kornblum was sentenced to ten years’ probation and one year of community control.
Kornblum’s attorney sent Channel 9 the following statement about his conviction:
“This case is an absolute tragedy for two families. Angel Dominguez lost his life senselessly and left behind loved ones who will never overcome the grief of his loss. My client will never forget the consequences of his ill-fated decision. He demonstrated clear remorse by his words in court and his deeds outside of court leading up to sentencing. I know that he prays Mr. Dominguez’s family finds peace in their hearts.”
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