An 82-year-old woman, Deborah Murphy, was fatally hit and run over by a Toyota SUV while walking from a crosswalk towards her car outside a Publix supermarket in Panama City Beach, Florida on May 17, as reported by Fox News on Sunday, July 26.
After the incident, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued detention orders for the 26-year-old driver, Carlos Suarez-Contreras, and the 29-year-old passenger, Luis Sanabria, both of whom were found to be illegally residing in the country and born in Venezuela. They were detained at the Bay County Sheriff’s Office Jail.
According to the arrest records, Murphy was struck and run over by the SUV as it continued its reverse motion, tragically resulting in her death.
Murphy, critically injured in the accident, was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries.
Suarez-Contreras pleaded not guilty in writing, denying the charge of driving without a license and causing death to another person, a third-degree felony. His Georgia driver’s license was reported to have been suspended.
Florida law prohibits undocumented immigrants from obtaining a driver’s license in the state. The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that 19 states and the District of Columbia issue driver’s licenses to “undocumented residents.”
At the scene, Sanabria testified to law enforcement that Suarez-Contreras was driving at the time of the accident.
Prior to an immigration investigation, officers on site noted Suarez-Contreras provided “suspicious” answers to their inquiries. Sanabria reportedly quickly left the scene on foot before law enforcement arrived, and only returned after Suarez-Contreras called him, as per the arrest records.
Sanabria’s visa was found to have expired, and he has been handed over to ICE for custody, according to Jacob Navarro, a public affairs specialist at the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
The records from the Florida Highway Patrol show that Suarez-Contreras was detained due to his immigration status and considered a “flight risk,” therefore being held without bond until his hearing at the Bay County Court on August 17.
Suarez-Contreras’ defense lawyer informed Fox News via email that his client “did not commit any of the alleged crimes at the time of his arrest… it was just an unfortunate incident, not a criminal act.”
Murphy’s twin daughters, Beth Schulz and Amy Edge, expressed their determination to seek justice and hold Suarez-Contreras accountable for his recklessness in an interview with Fox News.
(Reference from FOX NEWS)