Her estranged husband, Argenis Baez was sentenced in a packed Bronx courtroom filled with grieving family members and dozens of uniformed officers from the NYPD. Many in attendance wore purple a symbol of domestic violence awareness.
During emotional victim impact statements, her family addressed Baez directly. Through tears, relatives described her as a devoted mother, daughter, and sister whose life was cut short.
They told the court her final words were “my son,” as she begged him not to hurt her for the sake of the child they shared.
“You didn’t just kill a woman,” one family member said. “You killed dreams, a future and so much more that will never be.”
Family members said no number of years behind bars could equal what was taken from them. They also made clear they do not forgive him.
“There’s no forgiveness when there’s no remorse,” her sister Julissa said.
Baez addressed the court and asked the family for forgiveness, saying he was going through a difficult time. At points, he appeared to shift blame and minimize his actions.
Baez was sentenced to 24 years in state prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
For Reyes Gómez’s family, the sentence brings a measure of justice but no peace. She leaves behind a 7-year-old son.