A drunk driver who caused the death of her passenger — a Point Loma woman named Sidnie Waller — by drowning after she crashed her parents’ BMW off Sea World Drive into Tecolote Creek — was sentenced on Jan. 5 to 15 years to life in state prison for second-degree murder.
Jennifer Rae Xavier, now 24, was convicted of hit and run in the death of her supposed friend Waller, 21. And Judge Peter Deddeh added four years consecutively to her prison term to equal 19 years to life.
The parents and brother of Waller, traveled to San Diego and told the court how the death of their daughter and sister respectively affected them.
The victim’s brother, Jacob Waller, spoke first, saying “You took my sister away.” He continued:
“How could you leave Sidnie to die? How could you leave Sidnie underwater? You are selfish. When will you learn? You have no remorse. You have not changed and you never will.”
Here’s the report from the Peninsula Beacon:
Jacob Waller spoke about how Sidnie texted him messages while in her car, saying that Xavier had been drinking and was driving recklessly. Those messages were shown to the jury, and Jacob texted her to get out of the car before she was killed. He said unfortunately his sister stopped sending text messages and he did not know where she was, but he knew something happened to her.
The California Highway Patrol later found the BMW overturned and partly submerged in Tecolote Creek on March 4, 2021. Xavier managed to get out of the car and climbed up a ravine and a motorist called the police. She was intoxicated and officers drove her home, but she did not say she had been in an accident.
Sidnie’s mother, Danijela Mosunic, told Deddeh “Writing this (victim’s impact) statement is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.” Mosunic said she recalled “Spending hours in dark closets…not wanting anyone to hear me cry…I don’t know if I will ever laugh as deeply.”
Go here for the balance of the report.
