A Youngstown man has been sentenced to prison Wednesday for crashing a car and killing a passenger following a police chase.

Jaquan Jenkins, 23, appeared in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court before a judge who handed down a prison sentence of ten to 13-and-a-half years.

Jenkins pleaded guilty in October to charges of involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, and failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony. 

The case stems from the December 1 traffic death of 22-year-old Kaitlyn Cefalde, whose family was in court to witness the sentencing.

Jenkins apologized to the family as he was being sentenced.

Police say Cefalde was a passenger in a Cadillac being driven by Jenkins when the car went off Mahoning Avenue, striking a sign and a mailbox near the West Side Merchants office near South Bon Air Avenue.
 

The car, which police say had been traveling 90 miles per hour, split in half, ejecting both Cefalde and Jenkins, who were both hospitalized.  Cefalde died at the hospital.

Shortly before the crash, Austintown Police had broken off a pursuit of the Cadillac which had sped away after being pulled over by an officer.
 
Jenkins remained a fugitive until August when he was found hiding under a pile of laundry in a Youngstown basement.
 
 
 
Jaquan Jenkins
Jaquan Jenkins