THE woman who died in a fiery car crash caused by allegedly intoxicated former Raiders player Henry Ruggs was remembered by loved ones over the weekend at events and in an obituary.
Tina Tintor’s friends, family, and loved ones had a church service and fundraiser for her after her death in the crash at age 23.
This comes after Ruggs was initially charged with two felony charges of DUI and reckless driving resulting in death after the deadly car crash he was involved in.
“She was only 23 years old,” said Mary Vogle, a former co-worker, according to KTNV. “Didn’t even live half her life. And now it’s gone — taken away senselessly.”
Prosecutors also aim to charge Ruggs with a misdemeanor for a loaded gun that was allegedly found in his car. Ruggs could face up to 46 years in prison if convicted of all the charges.
Ruggs, 22, appeared in court Wednesday, where he was accused of driving 156 mph while intoxicated and had a loaded illegal firearm at the time of the crash, which occurred in the central Las Vegas area at around 3am on Tuesday.
He is scheduled to return to court on November 10.
Read our Henry Ruggs live blog for the latest news and updates…
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RAIDERS DO NOT BLAME RUGGS’ ABSENSE FOR LOSS TO GIANTS
After losing to the Giants last Sunday 23-16, the Raiders were questioned on whether the Henry Ruggs tragedy impacted the team.
Quarterback Derek Carr and interim head coach Rich Bisaccia said that the team’s disappointing performance last week was not due to outside factors.
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UNDER HOUSE ARREST
Henry Ruggs is currently under house arrest, after the former NFL star posted $150,000 bail last week.
If convicted on all counts, Ruggs could face up to 40 years in prison.
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WHO IS DAMON ARNETTE?
Damon Arnette was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Arnette played a total of 13 games with the team prior to being released on November 8, 2021.
He was a professional cornerback for the Las Vegas Raiders NFL team, but was released from the team after an alleged video emerged that appears to show the football player allegedly threatening a person while carrying a gun.
The player is reportedly facing a series of lawsuits, according to the NFL.
The news of Arnette’s release comes after the Raiders released 2020 first-round receiver Ruggs.
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ANOTHER RAIDERS STAR INVOLVED IN CRASH
Damon Arnette hit a driver in October last year at around 65mph, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
The outlet reports that cornerback Arnette missed his turn into the Raiders’ facility and was turning to make it when he allegedly hit his accuser.
Pictures show damage to both cars.
Arnette is accused of “illegally left the scene of the crash” in the lawsuit.
Police records show he was cited after Arnette said he left the scene “because he was running late to a meeting at work”, leaving a friend to provide his details.
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VICTIM’S MOM RECOGNIZED BURNING CAR
Tintor’s mom told friends she has recognized her daughter’s burning car on TV news reports.
“Hey this could be her car, I checked the news,” Tina mother told her daughter’s best friend Bojana Filipovic, who recalled the conversation in an interview with The Sun.
Tina’s boyfriend has been left “crushed” by her loss, Filipovic said.
On the night that Tintor would not make it home alive, she and Filipovic had been spending time together at a local park before bidding goodnight.
“I left her at 3.30 and she got into the crash 15 minutes later,” the mourning pal recalled. “We were just hanging out at the park and then going home.”
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GOFUNDME FOR TINA TINTOR
Tina’s brother Djordje Tintor has started a GoFundMe page for Tina, which has so far raised more than $94,000.
Heartbroken Djordje thanked supporters for the “outpouring of love and support” the family have received.
In an emotional tribute, he said “Those who knew Tina know that she was a beautiful loving soul that always put everyone before herself.”
“Whether she knew you or not, Tina was the type of person that would give you the food off of her plate to make sure you weren’t hungry.”
“Tina was the shoulder to cry on, the ear that made you felt heard, and the friendly smile you needed when you made a bad joke.”
“From our hearts to yours, we thank you for thinking of Tina and Max, and we really appreciate your support.”
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‘SHE WAS ONLY 23 YEARS OLD’
After Tina Tintor was killed in the crash, her loved ones spoke out.
“She was only 23 years old,” said Mary Vogle, a former co-worker, said of the young woman, according to KTNV.
“Didn’t even live half her life. And now it’s gone — taken away senselessly.”
“Every time I look back and think about her, I just see her smile and I see good times,” said Ryder Hankins, who also previously worked with Tintor.
“We would laugh in the check stands together. The unbearable eight-hour shifts — we would laugh and it would feel like nothing because she was there.”
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FELLOW RAIDERS PLAYER DARREN WALLER CALLS HENRY RUGGS CRASH ‘SHOCKING’
“Henry is somebody everybody liked,” Darren Waller said Sunday after the Raiders lost to the New York Giants, according to TMZ.
“Not just because he was the fastest person you’ve ever seen run on the field. But he was a good person and a respectful person.”
“It is shocking,” Waller said of the situation with Ruggs. “And it does hurt a little bit.”
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RUGGS NOW ‘FACING 46 YEARS IN JAIL’ AFTER MORE CHARGES FILED
Henry Ruggs III could be jailed for up to 46 years after prosecutors reportedly upped his charges on Friday following Tuesday’s car crash that killed Tina Tintor and her dog.
Las Vegas prosecutors tacked a misdemeanor gun possession rap on the 22-year-old professional football player in addition to four felonies.
Ruggs also faces DUI resulting in death, DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm and two reckless driving charges, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
If convicted, he could be sent away to prison for 46 years.
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TINA HAD PLANNED TO RETURN TO COLLEGE STUDIES
Filipovic said that 23-year-old Tina wanted to continue college after taking a break due to personal problems and wanted to “dive back into computer science and programming.”
“Whatever life threw at her, she would always try and fix it. We didn’t really have the best role models growing up and it was hard to fit in, but she was positive and had charismatic charm.
“No matter how many times she wanted to leave the earth, she was always hanging on and wanted the best,” Filipovic added.
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TINA’S BEST FRIEND SAYS SHE ‘WAS A GREAT DRIVER’
Bojana Filipovic, the victim’s best friend, said the two were hanging out and walking Tintor’s dog at a park close to her home on the day of the deadly crash.
“She was beautiful, smart, intuitive, she always knew right from wrong. She would always slap some sense into me,” Filipovic exclusively told The Sun.
“She was also a great driver. She would never let me speed.”
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OLD VIDEO OF RUGGS SPEEDING DOWN THE STREET RESURFACES
Footage also emerged on Thursday which appeared to show Ruggs’ girlfriend telling him to “slow down” as he raced down a street in September last year.
Rudy Washington, 22, is said to have shared the clip to her YouTube in which she laughs as her boyfriend revs the engine of his car.
The clip – obtained by The Review-Journal and called “Wild Out Wednesdays” – is reported to have been taken in September 2020.
It has since been removed from YouTube, according to the paper.
Washington appears to tell the now released Las Vegas Raiders’ star: “Just don’t do it no more. What you about to do?”
Ruggs tells Washington: “You look scared.”
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RUGGS WAS STOPPED IN APRIL ‘FOR USING PHONE WHILE DRIVING’
The dropped Las Vegas Raiders star, 22, is said to have used his cell at the wheel of his 2021 Ford Mustang SE in April of this year.
In court records, first obtained by The Las Vegas Sun, Ruggs received a citation after police say they saw him on a “cellular device at steering wheel level while operating a motor vehicle at highway speeds.”
He was also pulled over and cited for “traveling a motor vehicle while still on an Alabama issued driving license for year” while living in Nevada, documents show.
It is not clear if the matter has been resolved; a court date had been set for July.
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DESEAN JACKSON SHARES RAIDERS NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
DeSean Jackson shared images to his Instagram Story and a post hinting at his status as a new member of the Las Vegas Raiders.
He also shared an Instagram Post to his Twitter account, where fans congratulated the athlete.
“Welcome to the NATION and the BEST fan base in the NFL,” one person wrote.
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PLAYERS AND ALABAMA COACH OFFER SUPPORT TO HENRY RUGGS
Raiders Quarterback Derek Carr, New York Giants star Kadarius Toney, and Alabama coach Nick Saban offered their support to former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs.
“Our thoughts and prayers certainly go out to all involved in this tragic situation, especially the victims,” Saban said Thursday, . “Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with them. But our thoughts and prayers are also with Henry and his family.”
“These consequences are going to probably be pretty devastating to Henry. We love him. We’re going to support him through it, but we also have a lot of compassion for the victims, and our thoughts and prayers are also with them,” Saban added.
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DESEAN JACKSON JOINING THE RAIDERS
The Las Vegas Raiders have signed a new player after Henry Ruggs was released from the team.
Receiver DeSean Jackson is signing with the Raiders, he told NFL reporter Josina Anderson, according to ESPN.
Previously, he was a free agent.
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FANS SLAM RUGGS FOLLOWING CRASH
Following the tragic news, fans slammed Ruggs saying that his career is over after he was involved in a reportedly fatal crash, as the athlete may face 20 years behind bars.
“But uh yeah, Henry Ruggs career is over,” one user wrote on Twitter following the horrific news.
Another said, “Henry Ruggs is an idiot,” while others claimed his “career is clipped wow.”
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CONFIRMATION ON TWITTER
When the Las Vegas Raiders shared the news that they were releasing Ruggs on Twitter, fans had some thoughts in the replies.
“One of the saddest tweets ive ever seen. This whole situation is a nightmare,” one person wrote.
“There is a death of a 23 year old, it is possible the Raiders may get sued over this, they don’t have a choice but to release him,” another person added.
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RAIDERS LET RUGGS GO
Ruggs was charged with two felony counts, including a DUI and reckless driving, as a result, the Raiders then let Ruggs go, according to the NFL.
“The Raiders are aware of an accident involving Henry Ruggs III that occurred this morning in Las Vegas,” the team said in a statement.
“We are devastated by the loss of life and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim’s family. We are in the process of gathering information and will have no further comment at this time.”
The Raiders then confirmed the news with a tweet that read: “The Las Vegas Raiders have released WR Henry Ruggs III.”
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WHO IS RUGGS’ DAUGHTER?
When the 22-year-old Las Vegas Raiders star is not on the field, he can be found at home with his girlfriend and daughter.
On May 7, 2020, Ruggs and Washington welcomed their first daughter, Kenzli Re’Nai.
While baby Kenzli is only one year old, she is already a star on her father’s Instagram page.
He can often been seen sharing family pictures of her and Washington to his 455,000 followers.
Outside of being known as their daughter, not much additional information is available on the tike due to her age.
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RUGGS HAS TRIBUTE TO FRIEND AS PINNED TWEET: ‘I DO IT FOR YOU’
Five years ago, in March 2016, Henry lost his childhood best friend, Rod Scott, in a car accident while en route to attend a state playoff basketball game in Birmingham, Alabama.
A video tribute to Scott is the pinned tween on Henry’s twitter.
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LAS VEGAS RAIDERS FACED HOMOPHOBIA CONTROVERSY WEEKS AGO
The crash occurred three weeks after Jon Gruden abruptly resigned as Raiders coach over emails he sent before being hired by the team in 2018.
Gruden stepped down after The New York Times reported that he frequently used misogynistic and homophobic language in those emails directed at Commissioner Roger Goodell and others.
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WHAT DOES NEVADA STATE LAW SAY ABOUT DUI?
Law in Nevada claims that “if a person is convicted of a DUI which causes substantial bodily harm, or death, in another person, it is a FELONY offense.”
It would be classed as a category B Felony, which “is the second most severe level of Felony in Nevada law.”
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WHAT HAS THE NFL SAID ABOUT THE CRASH?
The NFL released a statement on the Ruggs incident, saying: “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the victim of this horrific tragedy.”
“We will continue to gather facts and monitor the matter under our policies, but our thoughts at this time are with those impacted by this devastating incident.”
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RUGGS LOST HIS BEST FRIEND IN A CAR CRASH FIVE YEARS AGO
Five years ago, in March 2016, Rugg’s lost his childhood best friend, Rod Scott, in a car accident while en route to attend a state playoff basketball game in Birmingham, Alabama.
The pair had been due to travel to the game together, but Ruggs had fallen ill with the flu and decided not to attend.
Scott, 17, was one of three unrestrained passengers ejected from a car that had rolled over along a rain-covered Interstate 65.
The teen was airlifted to an area hospital with serious internal injuries, including a swollen brain and two collapsed lungs.
Despite multiple surgeries to save his life, Scott was pronounced dead the next day.