Photo: Grapevine Police Department
Two illegal immigrants were arrested in relation to the hit-and-run jet ski incident that killed a teenage Air Force recruit in Texas, FOX 4 News reports.
Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez, 21, of Venezuela, was identified as the woman who drove the jet ski that struck and killed Ava Moore, 18, while she was kayaking on Grapevine Lake and charged with second-degree felony manslaughter. Gonzalez allegedly fled the scene in a blue Toyota Corolla driven by Maikel Coello Perozo, 21, who was charged with accident involving collision, while an additional charge is expected on Wednesday (May 28).
Both suspects, who were confirmed to be in the U.S. illegally, were arrested on Tuesday (May 27) after a standoff at their Dallas-area home. The jet ski hit-and-run incident took place Sunday (May 25) with Gonzalez and Coello fleeing the scene as bystanders attempted to save Moore's life. Photos of Gonzalez at the scene were distributed to police before she and Coello were located Tuesday morning.
Grapevine and Dallas officers were joined by Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the search for the two suspects, which included the use of drones to peer into the windows of their home before they eventually surrendered. Moore, a standout basketball player at Fort Worth Timber Creek High School before graduating in 2024, was weeks away from beginning her basic training, having just graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School one week prior.
The 18-year-old was in Grapevine visiting her parents for Memorial Day Weekend at the time of the incident.
“Ava Moore’s senseless death was caused by an illegal alien who should have never been in our country in the first place,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton via FOX 4 News. "My heart breaks for Ava’s family and friends, and my prayers are with them as they face this tragedy."