Fatal bar fight gets GR woman 20+ yrs

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A Grand Rapids woman will spend 20 to 50 years in prison for running over and killing a woman with her SUV outside a downtown Grand Rapids bar in March.

"I'm sorry," April Juarez said in court Monday, at her sentencing. "It was a huge accident."

Juarez pleaded no-contest to second-degree murder and one count of assault with attempt to murder in May. She admitted to the March incident, in which she drove into a crowd, killing 19-year-old Tifanee Crews. Juarez almost changed her plea earlier this month, but decided to stick with the deal.

Judge James Redford said the incident was a reckless act of anger that Juarez could not take back.

Teion Crews, Tifanee's father, forgave Juarez in a prepared statement, but asked the judge to punish her to the fullest extent of the law.

"The sentence was fair considering the plea agreement, but life in prison would have been a more befitting punishment for the crime," Crews' family told 24 Hour News 8.

Juarez cried through her statements as she asked for leniency. She apologized to the Crews family, saying her heart is broken.

The crash, on Ionia Avenue, injured five people. It started with a brawl at The Tap House, which has since gone out of business, and spilled into the street.

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Below is the complete, unedited letter Teion Crews read in court Monday:

Today your honor two families come before your court, one seeking Justice, the otherseeking leniency so your job today I do not envy. Your Honor I am pleased to have this opportunity to address this court on behalf of my family and Tifanee who is the reason why we’re here. The Justice weseek today Judge Redford is nothing more than the 20 to 30 yrs. prison sentence that was agreed upon for Ms. Juarez as part of a plea term offered by the Prosecuting Attorney’s office in lieu of her guilty or no contest plea, for us that will have to suffice as Justice Served for the senseless “MURDER” of my youngest daughter Tifanee Crews at the age of only 19 years old.

If I may now turn my attention to Ms. April Juarez and address her personally; April, I don’t hate you, I don’t wish you any ill will, I do not want to see you meet the same fate you dealt to Tifanee. In fact April, as a True Man Of God I forgive you personally, as a human being, what I cannot forgive is the crime you committed which you must be punished for, as you know that punishment allows for you to one day have the joy to be with your children again, a joy we will never have again with our beloved Tifanee.

No new memories, no new goals achieved, just the ones she left behind! Let me share with you some of what Tifanee left behind. She left behind her dreams of one day being an actress, a dream of one day traveling the world, she left behind the biggest smile, and most ambitious spirit, she left behind family who she loved and who loved her, nephews, a niece, siblings’, parents, and grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins, and many, many friends.

She left behind dreams that she will never get to achieve, stars that she will never get to reach and a laugh that will forever be remembered in our thoughts. On that dreadful morning of March 5th. While Tifanee and our family and friends were gathered at the hospital praying for her life, you April Juarez and your family and friends were concocting a plan on how to save your life from prison, as you knew and were very aware of the severity of the crime that you had committed. In your state of rage and anger and your attempt to kill two other people you killed Tifanee instead and injured countless others, for that you should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

To the family of April Juarez, you all will one day have April back in your lives again she will get to be a mom again, get to watch her children reach goals and dreams, she will get to attend special events in their lives. We will not! Tifanee would have turned 20 yrs. old Saturday June 12th. She likely would have anticipated my call on the 11th. Where I would yell and scream and sing happy birthday, then she would say “Dad, you done? My Birthday is tomorrow” and I’d say oh’, well you get two birthday wishes from me I’ll call you and come see you tomorrow.

Well I couldn’t do that this year because she wasn’t here April, you took that away from me, you took her away April so your punishment has to fit the crime and while the crime calls for a life sentence, the Christian family we are, believes that you should be forgiven and one day allowed to reenter society, hopefully having learned that in your states of rage and anger your actions have to be something other than violence with of all weapons a car!!!

Thank you for this opportunity Judge Redford and may God Bless You April and the entire Juarez Family…

We love and miss you T. Crews

Love, Dad