GRAPEVINE, Texas – Two people are behind bars, and their immigration status in the U.S. is in question after a kayaker was killed at Lake Grapevine during Memorial Day Weekend.
SEE ALSO: Man charged after being shot while driving car towards HPD officer during chase near Galleria
Recommended Videos
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Grapevine PD announced two arrests, but only identified one of the individuals, Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez of Venezuela.
UPDATE: According to NBC, two Venezuelan nationals have now been arrested, one accused of causing Ava’s death, the other tied to a separate crash as the suspects fled the scene. Gonzalez Gonzalez faces several charges, including manslaughter, a second-degree felony, along with reckless operation, excessive speed, and fleeing the scene of an accident involving death. Police say she fled the lake in a car driven by 21-year-old Maikel Perozo, who’s now charged in connection with a separate hit-and-run crash on land. Federal officials say Gonzalez and Perozo are both in the U.S. illegally. Once Texas authorities finish the criminal process, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will take over. ICE confirmed the pair will appear before an immigration judge to determine whether they’ll be deported.
According to Grapevine Police, Gonzalez Gonzalez is accused of hitting 18-year-old Ava Moore with a jet ski while she was kayaking. They said she was operating the personal watercraft with another person, who stayed at the scene, but Gonzalez Gonzalez took off with an unidentified man.
Despite life-saving efforts from witnesses and first responders, Moore died from her injuries while on the way to the hospital.
Grapevine Police said that while Gonzalez Gonzalez and the unidentified man tried to take off, they hit another car and were on the run, but she was caught on Tuesday.
ALSO UNDER INVESTIGATION: Pedestrian killed in SW Houston, hit-and-run driver flees scene full of witnesses
It’s unclear when the man who helped her flee was arrested, but the AG’s office described him as “another illegal.”
“Ava Moore’s senseless death was caused by an illegal alien who should have never [sic] been in our country in the first place. My heart breaks for Ava’s family and friends, and my prayers are with them as they face this tragedy,” Paxton said in a news statement. “My office will continue to work with local, state, and national law enforcement partners to secure justice for Ava.”
“We are thankful for the help of fellow law enforcement officers from the Texas Attorney General’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Dallas Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations,” Grapevine PD added in their social media post about Gonzalez Gonzalez’s arrest.