April 24th, 2012
05:04 PM ET

Teen uses social media to rally support for slain sister

Hoping to keep the man accused of killing her sister behind bars, a teenager created an online video that was posted on YouTube asking people to show up at a court hearing today to keep the bond at $1 million.

“Even if you don’t know me or my family or my sister, like, we can save lives," Bree Ann Camacho, 16, said in the video. "This isn’t suppose to happen. We need to stop drunk driving and we can start here."

Camacho posted the video on her Facebook page, describing the horrific car accident that killed her younger sister, Kaely Camacho earlier this month. She was 13.

Sandro Guillen is charged with five felonies in connection with the accident, including vehicular homicide, drunk driving, leaving the scene of an accident and driving with a suspended license. His attorney has refrained from commenting on the charges until seeing the state's evidence.

“Right now … we have his bail bond set at a million dollars which is a state record in Florida, but now he’s trying to lower it and, like, that can’t happen,” the teen says, looking straight into the camera. “Look what he did, my little sister is gone because of him and this can’t happen."

The story was picked up by local and national media, including CNN affiliate WSVN. While she had hoped thousands would show up, about two dozen or so family and friends crowded the courtroom. A handful of the victim’s close friends wore blue shirts with Kaely’s name with a heart on the front and on the back the shirts said “forever.”

Despite her plea, the judge reduced the bond for Sandro Guillen to $205,000, although he was ordered to remain under house arrest and forfeit his passports. During the bond hearing, the judge acknowledged Camacho's social media campaign.

“I want to tell you that I heard you via the press, both TV and print," said Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Leon Firtel. "But this is not a popularity contest.”

After the hearing, her father told WFOR that he was hopeful that justice would be served.

“We just have to have faith in the system and God," Kirk Camacho told WFOR. "You know justice will be served. All we can do is hope and pray for that.”

On the morning of April 13, Kirk Camacho was driving his two teenage daughters to their mother’s home when he approached an intersection and was allegedly hit by Guillen, who was driving an SUV in the bus lane “at approximately 100 miles per hour," according to the police report.

A police officer on the scene described the accident as “so severe that the victim’s vehicle was ripped in half.”

An arraignment for Guillen is scheduled for May 4.

 Post by:
Filed under: Crime
soundoff (14 Responses)
  1. ♚Mmmmm♛

    what can we say floriduh wal-mart judges loves bailing out cold-blooded killers...

    April 24, 2012 at 9:55 pm | Report abuse |
    • applesauce

      thats not the most appropriate thing to say, you dont that judge

      April 26, 2012 at 2:47 pm | Report abuse |
  2. matte

    While I expected to see something different, I have to take my hat off to this family who has been vocally respectful of the law and the constraints it leaves many in despite losing their sister/daughter. I feel for their loss, but the judge did what was prudent in a situation that could have given the state an opening to a denial of due process later on had this original bond been kept. Maybe a standard some other people in florida caught up in legal stuff could stand to live up to.

    April 25, 2012 at 8:02 am | Report abuse |
  3. Kississimmeegal

    We've simply got to stop treating drunk driving as if it were no more than a jaywalking offense. You CHOOSE to drink and drive, it's outright murder in my book when you kill someone in the process. These parents had their child stolen from them – they will never get to see their beautiful girl graduate college, get married, have children – because this piece of trash took their precious child from them. There should be NO second chances for this guy, much less should he even be released on bail. He snuffed her life out just as surely as if he had put a gun to her head – he should pay the price, and he should pay dearly.

    Judges, congressmen – DO something about drunk drivers. Oh yeah, I forget – most of you probably drink and drive yourselves!

    My heart aches for this family, and I know if it were MY daughter who were killed by this lowlife, that I would be outraged that he even had the chance to be let back out on the street, where he will more than likely just drink and drive again.

    What a shame, another precious life lost due to drunk driving. It will continue until our representatives take their collective heads out of their rears and do their jobs instead of brown-nosing (and probably taking bribes from) the alcohol lobbyists.

    April 25, 2012 at 9:37 am | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      Word.
      My condolences to the Camacho family on the loss of their precious daughter.

      April 25, 2012 at 9:41 am | Report abuse |
  4. Totallyawesome

    I read this article about how a teen (as in 14-18) got jailed for life because he and his friend decided to steal from a store and his friend shot a the cashier. The kid hasn't learned moral values yet! And here's a "supposedly mature" adult who decides to drink and drive, and he kills a teenage girl in a gigantic car crash. One that was "so severe that the victim’s vehicle was ripped in half." And this guy gets a second chance AND they lowered his bail bond?! Is this right?

    April 25, 2012 at 10:50 pm | Report abuse |
  5. elizabeth

    i think you could make fliers

    April 26, 2012 at 9:45 am | Report abuse |
  6. Markwfhs

    this is wrong lets start fliers in are schools

    April 26, 2012 at 12:02 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Mark1996

    wow this is worng i agree with mark and elizabeth

    April 26, 2012 at 12:04 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Students at MMS

    We agree with the fact that the word needs to be spread about the reasons not to drink and drive. All forms of social media need to be used. Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Tumblr, Viddy, etc. need to be used to help stop drivers from drinking and driving. We need MADD and SADD to make another stand and voice to all.

    April 26, 2012 at 12:51 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Angel Marin

    HORRIFIC DECISION. BASED ON THE LAW, FORGET COMMON SENSE OR DECENCY. A CHILD RAPIST WOULD GET LITTLE TO NO BAIL REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE VICTIM LIVES, PLUS YEARS IN JAIL. HERE A DRUNK LOSER KILLS A 13 YR OLD, AND GETS TO GO HOME, AND ABOUT WEARING A BRACLET. I WONDER HOW JUDGE LEON WOULD FEEL IF IT WERE HIS MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER , SISTER, OR 13 YR OLD DAUGHTER. NO WONDER LADY JUSTICE IS BLIND !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    April 26, 2012 at 2:14 pm | Report abuse |
  10. connor

    Have an art poster contest and post them around the town after laminating them.

    April 26, 2012 at 2:19 pm | Report abuse |
  11. kylie

    this is wrong. the guy should be in jail he was driving drunk, killed a 13. this poor girl wont be able to drive , graduate, or do anything she wanted to do when she got older.

    April 26, 2012 at 4:48 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Alice

    Finding good information on this sbecujt that is both well-written and easy to grasp is a phenomenon. That's why I decided to put a comment here to let the writer know this article is great.

    July 14, 2012 at 3:04 am | Report abuse |
« Back to main