Victim's family: Teen got slap on the hand

Tampa, Florida - Dressed in black, Jordan Valdez wore pearls to court; no doubt a stark contrast to the homeless woman she hit with her car.

On Tuesday, the 17-year-old pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident involving death. Valdez told the judge that after hitting Melissa Sjostrom last February, her decision to keep on driving was a bad one.

"Your Honor, I know I made a horrible decision. It was made in shock and panic," said a sobbing Jordan Valdez.

Supporters of the high school senior begged the judge for leniency, saying she's a good kid. Kim Valdez asked the judge not to saddle her daughter with an adult felony conviction.

"I beg you to please sentence her as a juvenile. She was just a child," said Kim Valdez.

But the victim's family told the judge that driving a car is an adult responsibility and that Jordan Valdez needs to be treated like one. After all, she left their loved one bleeding in the street.

"Melissa was loving and caring and giving," said Lisa Mott, describing her niece.

Judge Chet Tharpe acknowledged he had a difficult decision to make. He thought the juvenile sentence of just 15 months probation was too short, yet he saw a difference between Valdez and teens who commit robberies and other serious crimes on purpose.

So, in the end, Tharpe sentenced Valdez as a juvenile. She will be on probation until her 19^th birthday and she must perform 250 hours of community service, half of that in a hospital trauma center.

For the Valdez family, it was a relief; for Sjostrom's family, it was a disappointment.

Marylou Hansen, the victim's adoptive mother, says what happened in the Tampa courtroom today sends a bad message. "If you kill somebody and drive on and purposefully evade, you're going to get a slap on the hand."