DES MOINES, Iowa — The suspect in the April 28 hit-and-run that killed a 14-year-old East High student changed her plea to guilty on July 14 to get a reduced charge.
38-year-old Terra Flipping was arrested the same day as the accident. According to court documents, Flipping pleaded not guilty on June 9, 2022.
The minimum sentence is probation and slightly over $1,000 fine. The maximum sentence is five years with a fine not exceeding $10,000.
"The news of the change in the guilty plea come during a day that I was really miss Ema. There is not a day that I don't think about that day. I am pleased that Terra changed her plea, like this, we as a family will not have to sit through the trail," Anna Campos, Ema's mother, told Local 5 via Facebook Messenger.
In response to the hit-and-run that killed Ema Cardenas, Des Moines City Council voted in June to allow school speed zones to include areas where kids are frequently present, such as stadiums and practice fields.
The next hearing for the case will be July 21 at 10:30 a.m.