XPost: alt.politics.immigration, tx.politics, sac.politics
XPost: talk.politics.guns, alt.society.liberalism
GRAPEVINE, Texas - Gov. Greg Abbott weighed in Wednesday night on social
media following the arrest of two suspects in a fatal jet ski
hit-and-run crash that killed 18-year-old Ava Moore on Grapevine Lake
over Memorial Day weekend.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says both the suspected driver of the
jet ski and the man who helped her leave the scene are in the country illegally.
What we know:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, writing: "Welcome to Texas… Here’s Your Death Penalty."
As of Monday morning, the post had been viewed more than 1 million
times.
Grapevine Lake deadly crash
Ava Moore, 18, was killed while kayaking at Grapevine Lake on Sunday
when she was hit by a jet ski.
An arrest warrant affidavit for Diakerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez
says that Gonzalez was driving a jet ski near the shoreline of Oak Grove
Park.
Witnesses told police the jet ski made several "reckless" passes along
the shoreline and eventually crashed into Moore. The 18-year-old later
died.
Gonzalez then left the scene of the crash with a man in a blue Toyota
Corolla. The Corolla crashed into two cars while driving away from the
lake. Both suspects then ran from the scene.
Arrest of jet ski crash suspects
Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez of Venezuela was arrested Tuesday
morning in connection with the crash.
She is charged with second-degree felony manslaughter, according to her
arrest affidavit. Her bond is set at $500,000.
Maikel Perozo was also arrested on Tuesday.
Perozo was charged with a collision involving damage to a vehicle, which
is a class B misdemeanor, and hindering apprehension, which is a Class-A misdemeanor.
A release from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says they were both in
the country illegally.
Can Gonzalez face the death penalty?
Dig deeper:
In Texas, the death penalty applies only to certain capital felony
cases. A capital felony is defined as "an individual intentionally or
knowingly causing the death of an individual," under Texas law.
Gonzalez is not currently charged with a capital felony and is therefore
not eligible for the death penalty under current charges.
According to the Texas Penal Code, there is a list of situations that
would result in a capital murder charge:
Murder of a peace officer or fireman while they are working in an
official capacity Murder while committing or attempting to commit
kidnapping, burglary, robbery, aggravated sexual assault, arson,
obstruction or retaliation, or terroristic threat Murder for hire
Murder committed at the time of the prison escape
Murder of a person in prison for a life sentence
Murders of more than one person
Murder of an individual under 15 years of age
Murder of a judge
What they're saying:
Anthony Farmer, a criminal defense attorney who is not involved in the
case, offered some perspective on calls for the death penalty in this
case.
"This was appropriately charged by the district attorney's office as manslaughter. It was a conscious disregard of the health and safety of
others. It does not rise to the level of something that would require
the death penalty. That would take an intentional or knowing act which
doesn't exist here," he said.
While he does expect the suspects will face additional charges such as
failure to stop and render aid, he doesn't expect anything that could
rise to the level of the death penalty.
"The state would likely lose that case," he said.
Farmer called Abbott's comments "political hyperbole."
Remembering Ava Moore
Ava Moore, 18, was just weeks away from starting basic training for the
U.S. military, a dream her friends and family said she was proud to
pursue.
She had graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School
less than a week before the crash, on May 19.
"We lost an exemplary teammate this weekend – Cadet Candidate Ava Moore, whose passion for leadership and service left an impact on everyone she
met," U.S. Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind
said. "Her constant happiness and attitude helped her squadron get
through the challenges of the Prep School, and her drive to excel was on display as she sought out leadership positions to improve herself and
her team."
Her basketball coach, Ke’sha Blanton, said Moore had big ambitions.
"She talked all year about becoming a four-star general one day because
she loved it," Blanton said. "She made those around her better."
Moore was visiting her parents in North Texas for Memorial Day weekend
when the crash happened.
https://www.fox4news.com/news/grapevine-lake-jet-ski-hit-and-run-crash-ab
bott
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