According to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official, the suspect and her suspected accomplice in the fatal jet ski hit-and-run of an Air Force cadet candidate over Memorial Day weekend are illegal aliens.
During a Wednesday news conference in Grapevine, Texas, Joshua Johnson, acting field director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Emergency Removal Operations in Dallas, confirmed that Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez and Maikel Coello Perozo, both 21, are illegal immigrants from Venezuela.
Gonzalez allegedly operated the jet ski that struck and killed 18-year-old Ava Moore on Sunday at Grapevine Lake. Moore was a cadet candidate at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) and a member of the Class of 2029, according to the military academy.
“It’s my understanding that both the individuals crossed the southern border in 2023 or 2024,” Mr. Johnson said. “They were arrested at the time of entry, processed on a notice to appear, and then released on their own recognizance.”
He also stated that ICE has issued immigration detainers against the suspects, and that once their criminal proceedings in Texas are completed, they would be processed for removal.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s game warden, Capt. Joseph Quintero, reported that Gonzalez had been charged with second-degree felony manslaughter.
Perozo was charged with collision resulting in car damage and delaying arrest, both misdemeanors, after allegedly driving away from the scene with Gonzalez.
He said both were arrested in Dallas on Tuesday, and their relationship is unknown.
On Tuesday night, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declared that the couple were in the country illegally.
“We’ve arrested an illegal alien for killing Ava Moore, as well as another illegal alien in connection with her death,” Paxton said in a Tuesday post on X.
“Ava Moore’s senseless death was caused by an illegal alien who should never have been in our country in the first place,” Paxton stated in a press release.
“My heart breaks for Ava’s family and friends, and my prayers are with them as they face this tragedy,” Paxton says.
“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,” stated a statement released by the Texas Game Wardens.
Paxton said his office “will continue to work with local, state, and national law enforcement partners to secure justice for Ava.”
Moore, according to FOX 4, was just weeks away from realizing her lifelong dream of joining the military. She was supposed to travel for Air Force basic training but was home in Texas visiting family during Memorial Day weekend.
Moore was supposedly a student and standout basketball player at the United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School in Colorado.
“We discussed throughout the year that she wanted to be a four-star general because she enjoyed it,” her coach, Ke’sha Blanton, told the site. “She made those around her better.”
Blanton expressed regret and anger about Moore’s death.
“They took a bright, bright star from our lives,” she was saying.
According to investigators, two women were riding a jet ski when it collided with Moore on Sunday evening.
According to authorities, a passenger on the jet ski remained on the scene, while the craft’s operator allegedly escaped, followed by a guy. During their escape from the scene, the two allegedly collided with a vehicle.
Moore was brought to shore and treated for severe head damage before being transferred to a neighboring hospital, where she died, according to the site.
“Our sympathies are with Ava’s family and friends during this terrible time. “Texas Game Wardens remain committed to keeping our public waters safe,” the Grapevine Police Department stated.
