(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. — A 22-year-old Pleasant Prairie man pleaded guilty Monday to killing two of his friends in a high-speed drunk driving crash that ended with his truck crashing into a Kenosha sporting goods store last summer. Attorney Eric Olson represented Pierangeli in court Monday.
Ajay Gregory Pierangeli entered guilty pleas to two counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle for the deaths of 19-year-old Jenna Barrette and 21-year-old Dylan Zamora. Two additional charges—injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle and OWI causing injury as a second offense—were dismissed but will be read in at sentencing. Judge Anthony Milisauskas accepted the plea deal. Pierangeli will return to court for sentencing on July 11, 2025. Pierangeli faces up to 50 years in prison. On Monday, the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office recommended that he serve 12 years of initial confinement for each count—totaling 24 years in prison—followed by extended supervision.
The charges stem from a violent crash around 3:25 a.m. on July 28, 2023. According to a criminal complaint, Pierangeli was driving a red Dodge Dakota eastbound on 75th Street at high speed when he lost control and slammed into the storefront of Play It Again Sports at 4017 75th Street. The vehicle ended up partially inside the building, mangled and severely damaged. First responders had to extract all five occupants from the wreckage.
(Legacy.com)
Barrette and Zamora, both backseat passengers, were pronounced dead at the scene. Another passenger in the rear, Alex Wajerski, sustained a skull fracture and was listed in critical condition. Front passenger Quincy Hanson survived with fractured ribs and a collapsed lung. Pierangeli was hospitalized with a ruptured lung.
Witnesses—including paramedics who observed the truck moments before the crash—reported that the vehicle was swerving erratically and traveling at estimated speeds of 70 miles per hour. A blood test later revealed Pierangeli’s blood alcohol concentration to be .282—more than three times the legal limit.
(Kenosha County Sheriff)
Pierangeli had a prior OWI conviction stemming from an August 2019 crash in Pleasant Prairie. According to court records, that incident involved a rollover after Pierangeli, then just 16 years old, lost control of a vehicle while intoxicated. He was convicted later that year in Pleasant Prairie Municipal Court and sentenced to pay fines and complete a driver safety program. That offense contributed to the felony-level OWI injury charge in the current case.
The homicide case was initially assigned to Judge Gerad Dougvillo before being reassigned to Judge Milisauskas. Over the past ten months, the courtroom has seen high public interest and emotional outbursts, including a physical altercation in October 2023 after the court denied a motion to reduce Pierangeli’s $500,000 cash bail. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Each count of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle is a Class D felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. Wisconsin law requires a minimum of five years of initial confinement on each count unless a judge identifies a compelling reason to impose less and states it on the record.
The sentencing hearing in July is expected to be heavily attended by the victims’ families and the community, who have followed the case closely since charges were filed.
According to Jenna’s obituary:
“She loved spending time with her family, friends, and especially her cat Max. Her love for animals didn’t stop there as she worked at the Humane Society and fostered kittens and puppies in her free time. She also loved going to the beach and pool, working out with her sister, taking naps, and playing volleyball.
She played competitive volleyball since she was nine years old, including club, high school, and college. Jenna always lived life to the fullest. Just in the last few months, she completed her junior year of college, went on a Mediterranean cruise, and went to Summerfest and Country Thunder. Jenna made everyone around her feel special and loved. Countless people thought of her as their best friend. She had a smile and personality that would light up any room she walked into. Although many are grieving here, Jenna ultimately fulfilled her purpose on earth, and God called her home to Heaven.”
According to Dylan’s obituary:
“Born on July 20, 2001, in Kenosha; he was the son of Erin Zamora.
He was educated in the schools of Kenosha and was a graduate of Tremper High School. He was attending the University of Wisconsin Parkside as a senior pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences with the goal of becoming a Physician’s Assistant.
He was an avid lover of all sports, especially soccer, having spent four years on the Tremper soccer team. In his younger years, he played a season of CYC football for the Bears, which didn’t bode well with him as he was a Packer’s fan.
He also greatly enjoyed video games, playing online with friends from all corners of the world. He loved animals, especially dogs and would always talk about how he wanted to have the biggest dog possible someday. He enjoyed traveling and loved going to Minnesota to see his many relatives. He recently shared his aspirations of someday moving to Seattle and raising a family of his own.”
32 Responses
Release him to the custody of the victims’ parents. Let those folks deliver the justice that Ajay deserves.
Such a senseless crime that shattered so many. My heart breaks for the victim’s families and friends. I hope the courts send him (and his family) a message that he should have received when he got his first OWI. It’s a sad situation all around.
His family? Send them a message? As a bystander I’m not sure if you realize how ignorant you are but obviously this is personal to you. I’m sure his family is suffering and sure why not make a bad situation worse and make them suffer more ..yeah get em ..let that anger rot your insides
Scumbag deserves at least 24 years in prison. His family allowed this punk to do the things he did. When he gets out of prison he will close to 50 yrs old. ( if he survives prison)
Send him to El Salvador 🇸🇻 Prison………
Again! I like your thinking!
Dylan was 22 and Jenna was 21 at the time of the accident. Ajay was 19 and underage.
Dave voluntarily got into a vehicle driven by a drunken jackass, so I have no problems with some of the charges being played away in exchange for a guilty plea. That said, this is when the judge will have to step up with some serious sentencing for a murderous loser who was already on his second chance to turn his life around for the better.
“They voluntarily”. I wish we were allowed to correct spelling, but it’s my fault for not proofreading my voice to text.
This loser should get 48 years
He is such a dick.
But yet….we are giving kids who are basically the same age and bringing guns to school one year in juvenile detention.
Yeah, this doesn’t pass the smell test.
Also, why haven’t we fucking heard about who supplied them the alcohol and whose house they were at? They are the ones who enabled this whole situation to happen.
He had a fake ID
For one I’ve known him for several years and he didn’t have a fake ID. Second, “real” IDs have a barcode on the back of them and they get scanned especially if it’s a young person buying alcohol or cigarettes. And yes some fake IDs have barcodes on them and when they are scanned it will pop up on the screen as “invalid”.
It dosent matter
How he got the alcohol it’s illegal he was underage!
You think so? He had another incident when he was 16, thankfully no deaths. His worthless drug addict parents on the ones to point the finger at.
Tsk tsk Bad Parenting does not cause addiction sure enabling can happen and influence but adult children make their own choices and the constant blame on his parents is frankly my dear weird and dumb. Now if he was diagnosed with frozen child syndrome or let me dumb it down suffered trauma at the hands of these bad parents and this childhood trauma wasn’t resolved and that caused him to make these life choices then ok shame on them a bit but I think your just silly
jenna and dyan were of age.
Seat belts save lives.
So does not driving when you’re 4x the legal limit
No they wouldn’t of I know Dylan’s injuries and a seat belt wouldn’t of did shit for how fast Ajay was driving
Well with him hanging out the window yeah his injuries would be very severe. Honestly him hanging out that window is a strong possibility of what caused him to crash because it would be a distraction. Don’t get me wrong ajay should have never been behind the wheel in the first place. As far as him going fast? I call bullshit, that truck had an underpowered 3.7L V6 with 230,000 miles on it and didn’t have the balls to get up to 70mph that fast from a stop light with the “gas pedal fully compressed”.
His mommy Amber was a straight slut in high school, knocked up before even graduating. It’s no wonder her son turned out this way, excellent parenting!
Anonymous were a bit jealous of this Amber? Because her having sex as a lot of teenagers do and yes some get pregnant and then some of those some have convenient abortions but a young mother doesn’t mean a bad mother ..I think she may be prettier than you lol
Ephesians 4:31 They need a relationship with Jesus and to know their Father and seek Him for understanding. I pray that God puts the right people in their path, draws them close, and fills them with the only Love that can heal their pain.
syabu
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
Ajay is the cousin of Mike Rizzo. There was a recent KCE article on him. Ajay is also the cousin of Matt Rizzo, who is the prez of SJ. It is just a matter of time before there is a KCE article on him too. This family is filled with people who think they are above rules and laws. Stay tuned. More to come.
This is 100%. I heard of some shady things that Matt/admin have done at St. Joe’s. The school and Archdiocese know about some of it, but it seems that they do not want the bad press and are hoping it just all goes away.
It is a sad story. It all could have been prevented. They all seemed like good kids that just went too far in drinking,
Extremely sad all around – so many lives lost / ruined. Obviously, Ajay should NOT have been driving, and he is FULLY Responsible for the two lives lost at his hands. At the same time, all four of the passengers should NOT have got into a vehicle with someone they had been drinking with until 3:00 am … .and then not wear seatbelts. There is some responsibility on the passengers as well. Prayers to all the families.