A woman accused of a deadly hit-and-run crash in Saline County last August entered a no-contest plea on Monday in connection with the incident.
Kayla Errebo’s plea means she does not admit guilt but accepts a conviction on the charges. The court convicted her of second-degree murder for the death of June Sommerfeld and aggravated battery for seriously injuring June’s husband, Mark.
As part of the plea agreement, authorities dropped several other charges, including violation of duty as a driver, reckless driving, bypassing an ignition interlock device, and improper driving on a laned roadway.
Errebo’s grandfather, Dennis Katzenmeier, had faced an obstruction charge related to the case, but officials dismissed it in April.
During Errebo’s preliminary hearing in March, prosecutors presented body camera footage from the Saline County Sheriff’s Office showing Katzenmeier telling law enforcement he picked up his granddaughter after the crash. The footage also revealed that Errebo reported her vehicle as stolen to the Ellsworth County Sheriff.
“I will find that she is competent today to enter her pleas,” Saline County Judge Amy Norton said during Monday’s hearing. “I will also find that there is a sufficient factual basis, as provided by the state of the preliminary hearing, to support these pleas, and that factual basis has not been contested by Ms. Errebo today.”
Katzenmeier declined to appear on camera but said he is pleased that authorities dismissed his charges and disappointed by his granddaughter’s situation.
During the hearing, prosecutors recommended that Errebo serve the standard sentence for second-degree murder and aggravated battery, with both sentences running consecutively.
The court has scheduled sentencing for July 10 at 9 a.m.