Johnny Sabo was a free spirit, but his zest for life came to a tragic end after a hit-and-run crash.
Now, his family says they are fighting to keep the woman who killed him from getting out of prison early by using Nevada's "residential confinement" program.
ARREST WHICH MEANS.....GETTING OUT OF PRISON TO SERVEHER SENTENCE.13 INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER....JOE BARTELS EXAMINES THISPROGRAM...AND...WHAT'S GETTING....A SECOND LOOK.ON CAM: JOHNNY SABO..WAS A FREE SPIRIT..HIS LIFE..ENDED..WHEN HE WAS HIT AND DRAGGED BYA CAR.THE WOMAN BEHIND THE WHEEL..TOOK OFF..AND ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES..SHE TRIED TO HIDE THEEVIDENCE...AND IT WAS HER OWN MOTHER...WHO TURNED HER IN..SABO'S FAMILY SAYS..THEY TRUSTED THE JUSTICESYSTEM.UNTIL THEY GOT A LETTER..EXPLAINING..THE DRIVER WAS BEINGCONSIDERED...FOR HOUSE ARREST...PKG: NAT/SOT START WITH HER ONCAM AND THEN COVER/EMOTIONALBITE TINA QUIZON BROTHER KILLED15:43:26 "THIS IS MY BABYBROTHER.THIS IS WITH MY DAD..THIS IS JOHNNY." JOHNNYSABO..WAS THE BABY OF THE FAMILY..AND AS HE GREW UP THROUGH THEYEARS..HE BECAME A TALENTED SINGER...FROM ROCK AND ROLL TO OPERA...SOT: TINA QUIZON BROTHER KILLED15:49:57 "JOHNNY WAS LOVED SOMUCH AND HE WAS A FREE SPIRITAND LAS VEGAS WAS HIS HOME HELOVED LAS VEGAS." TINA QUIZON..SAYS THAT ALL CAME TO A VIOLENTEND..
ON AUGUST 15...20-17..WHEN SHE GOT A CALL..HER BABY BROTHER..WAS IN REALLY BAD SHAPE..HE WAS HIT BY A CAR..WHILE PUSHING A SHOPPING CARTNEAR HARMON AND WYNN..JUST WEST OF THE LAS VEGASSTRIP...THE CRASH..LEFT HIM BRAIN DEAD.SOT: DARIA JEPSEN JONNY SABO'SFRIEND 16:28:53 "I PROMISED HIMI'M GOING TO GET JUSTICE FORYOU I'M GOING TO FIND WHOEVERDID THIS TO YOU I GOT YOUJOHNNY I GOT YOU I PROMISE I'LLGET JUSTICE FOR YOU WE'RE GONNAFIND WHO DID THIS WE'RE GONNAGET THEM PUT AWAY." DARIA JEPSEN..WAS JOHNNY'S BEST FRIEND OF 25YEARS...SHE WAS THERE..AS HE LAID IN A HOSPITAL BEDLONG ENOUGH TO HAVE HIS ORGANSDONATED...AND SHE MADE THAT PROMISE..NAT FROM 13 ACTION NEWSBROADCAST ON AUGUST 23, 2017VIDEO IS IN JOE FOR RUDY FOLDERSHARE 2 "MAN DIES AFTER BEINGSTRUCK IN HIT AND RUN" :54LEAVING HIM FOR DEAD." AS FATEWOULD HAVE IT..THIS 13 ACTION NEWS BROADCAST..BROUGHT THE CRUCIAL TIP..AUTHORITIES NEEDED...TO ARREST..ALEJANDRA ROBERTSON..JUST 23 YEARS OLD AT THETIME...SOT: TINA QUIZON BROTHER KILLED15:41:29 "UNLESS IF IT WASN'TFOR YOUR TV STATION, ACTUALLYPUTTING OUT A CALL TO THEPUBLIC TO PLEASE COME FORWARDAND HELP US SOLVE THIS CRIME WEAND TOOK OFF..BECAUSE SHE WASSCARED.SHE PARKED HER CAR AROUND THECORNER FROM THE CRASH SCENE...AND TOLD POLICE SHE TRIED TOSAW..THE WINDSHIELD OUT OF THEVEHICLE..SHE NEVER BOTHERED TO CALLPOLICE.COURT RECORDS INDICATE HERORIGINAL CASE INVOLVED D-U-I.RECORDS SHOW..SHE TOOK A PLEA DEAL..TO THE LESSER CHARGE..OF 'LEAVING THE SCENE OF ANACCIDENT' THAT'S A 'NON-VIOLENTCRIME' ACCORDING TO STATE LAW.SHE WAS SENT TO PRISON..TO SERVE BETWEEN 4 AND 12YEARS.OR SO JOHNNY'S FRIENDS ANDFAMILY THOUGHT...SOT: DARIA JEPSEN JONNY SABO'SFRIEND 16:28:23 "AND THEN BAM!THERE IS THIS LETTER AND JUSTFLOORED ME AND I LITERALLYCRIED FOR PROBABLY 20 HOURS IJUST COULDN'T BELIEVE I FELTANY BIT OF JUSTICE THAT WE GOTWAS TAKEN BACK AND IT BROUGHTME RIGHT BACK TO THE HOSPITALWHERE I SAT WITH MY BEST FRIENDGIVING HIM BUTTERFLY KISSESWITH MY EYELASHES AND RUBBINGHIS ARM." GRAPHICS THIS IS THELETTER..REVEALING ALEJANDRA ROBERTSON..IS BEING CONSIDERED..FOR RESIDENTIAL CONFINEMENT..OR HOUSE ARREST..JUST TWO YEARS..INTO HER MINIMUM 4 YEARPRISON SENTENCE..AND 18 MONTHS BEFORE HER PAROLEAND ABLE TO ATTEND SCHOOL ORWORK IN THE COMMUNITY...SOT: TINA QUIZON BROTHER KILLED15:44:04 "I'M BEWILDERED, I'MLOST BECAUSE WHEN YOU THINK YOUHAVE JUSTICE THIS IS ANINJUSTICE." GRAPHIC 13 INVESTIGATES..CONTACTED THE NEVADA DEPARTMENTCORRECTIONS..A SPOKESPERSON RELEASED A PAGEAND A HALF EXPLANATION..REGARDING..ROBERTSON'S POSSIBLE RELEASE..EXPLAINING IN PART: GRAPHICDUI'S CAUSING DEATH ORSUBSTANTIALLY BODILY HARM..ARE CONSIDERED NON-VIOLENTCRIMES UNDER STATE LAW..AND INMATES ARE ELIGIBILE FORRESIDENTIAL CONFINEMENT.SOT: TINA QUIZON BROTHER KILLED15:43:43 "SHE DRAGGED HIM 150FEET THEY SAID HIS SKULL, THEBACK OF IT HERE THE BACK OF HISHEAD THE BRAIN WAS EXPOSED."BUTT TO: DARIA JEPSEN JONNYSABO'S FRIEND 16:32:28 "HOW NOTVIOLENT IS THAT?
THAT'S ANEXTREMELY VIOLENT WAY TO DIEIT'S HORRIFIC." SOT JAMES DZURENDA FORMER DOCDIRECTOR 44:59 "FOR THISRESIDENTIAL PROGRAM, CURRENTLYTHE DIRECTOR OF CORRECTIONS HASNO AUTHORITY TO DENY ANYBODY." 13 INVESTIGATES HAS LEARNED..THE RESIDENTIAL CONFINEMENTPROGRAM..HAS FACED..SCRUNITY..AS RECENTLY..AS LAST YEAR..THEN NEVADA DEPARTMENT OFCORRECTIONS DIRECTOR..JAMES DZURENDA..TESTIFIEDBEFORE LAWMAKERS..THE PROGRAM WAS SERIOUSLYFLAWED..SOT JAMES DZURENDA FORMER DOCDIRECTOR 46:03 "I'M LOOKING ATSOME OF THESE CASES SAYINGTHESE INDIVIDUALS TRULY NEEDCERTAIN SPECIFIC BEHAVIORALTHERAPY THEY REFUSE IT AND ISTILL HAVE TO APPROVE IT ITMADE NO SENSE TO ME AND IT MADENO SENSE TO ME THAT THEY COULDSTILL BE JEOPARDIZING THECOMMUNITY TO THAT EFFECT."THE FORMER DIRECTOR REVEALED..VICTIM'S OR THEIR FAMILIES..OFTEN TIMES..WE'REN'T BEING CONTACTED..ABOUT THE INMATES ELIGIBILITYFOR HOUSE ARREST...SOT: 16:34:06 REPORTER: "DO YOUTHINK ALEJANDRA SHOULD BEELIGIBLE FOR THIS HOMECONFINEMENT PROGRAM?
DARIAJEPSEN JONNY SABO'S FRIEND"ABSOLUTELY NOT." LAWMAKERSPASSED..A BILL...WHICH NOW ALLOWS THE DEPARTMENTOF CORRECTIONS TO SEEK VICTIMINPUT..BEFORE THEY CONSIDERAPPLICATIONS FOR THERESIDENTIAL CONFINEMENTPROGRAM..JOHNNY'S FRIENDS AND FAMILY..ARGUE..
THAT'S A START..BUT NOT ENOUGH...TINA QUIZON BROTHER KILLED15:45:08 "I HOPE THAT IFANYTHING THAT MAY BE THIS CANGIVE OTHER FAMILY SOME COMFORTTHAT THIS ISN'T GOING TO HAPPENTO THEM." THEY WANT DUI'SCAUSING DEATH OR HARM..TO BE CONSIDERED..VIOLENT CRIMES..AND FOR INMATES TO SERVE THEIRMINIMUM SENTENCE BEHIND BARSBEFORE ANY CONSIDERATION..FOR HOUSE ARREST.ON CAM THE DEPARTMENT OFCORRECTIONS DID NOT GRANT US ANON CAMERA INTERVIEW...A SPOKESPERSON TELLS US...THE STATUS OF ROBERTSON'SAPPLICATION IS CONFIDENTIAL...AND IT'S UNCLEAR...WHEN SHE COULD BE RELEASED ONTHE ACTIVE PATTERN CONTINUESFOR THE REGION WITH COOLTEMPERATURES AND
