- Led a caravan of vechiles to terrorise black family celebrating 8 year olds birthday
- Shouted racists slogans and slurs
- Waved large Confederate flags at family and friends of black child’s 8th birthday
- Sentenced for hate crimes
- Family victim forgives mother who committed hate crime
Two parents are facing reality of many years in prison and leaving their three children without both parents. The young Georgia couple cried in court and Kayla Rae Norton, aged 25, was regretful of her actions. She was forgiven in court by one of the victims family members.
Jose Israel Torres, 26, was sentenced to 20 years, with 13 served in prison. Kayla was sentenced to 15 years with 6 served in prison. Both can never return to Douglas County where they committed the hate crime upon release, as part of the sentence.
They were members of a group called ‘Respect the Flag’ and went with a bunch of other people to terrorise the family celebrating an 8 year olds birthday. They shouted at adults and children that they would ‘kill y’all n*****s’, all the while proudly showing the Confederate flag. They also terrorised a local convenience store and Walmart.
Kayla accepted responsibility when in court and said to the victims of her crime ‘What happened to you is absolutely awful’. And through her tears also said ‘I do accept responsibility for what I have done. From mother to mother, I cannot imagine having to explain what the word means.’ She also went on to say ‘The worst decision I’ve ever made in my life was not to walk away when I had the chance’.
Her partner Jose Torres only showed tears when family members testified on the stand as a devoted father. The crimes were committed in 2015, less than a month after the fatal shooting of white gunman Dylann Roof. He killed nine black men and women attending their local church in Charleston.
