Family of woman killed in Miami hit-and-run pleads for justice
The family of Patricia Valencia, a 47-year-old woman killed in a hit-and-run at a Miami bus stop, is pleading for justice as police search for the driver responsible.
Valencia was waiting for the bus Saturday morning when a black Mercedes veered off the road, jumped the curb and struck three people, according to Miami police. She died at the scene.
Her sister, Katherine Valencia Caro, fought back tears as she spoke about the loss.
"She always lifted me up, always supported me and was so proud, you know? But I just really miss her and I wish I could talk to her and tell her how grateful I am to have had her as a sister."
Their mother, Zoraida Valencia, said Patricia was a hardworking woman and a devoted mother of two sons. "Right now, I feel really bad. He should pay for what he did because that's not the right thing to do," she said.
Through sobs, she recalled how Patricia was born prematurely and spent two months in the hospital after birth. "She was my first baby… she was a seven-months baby."
Valencia's father, Jose Valencia, said the family is devastated. "The problem is we have no words to express how we feel. We are destroyed. We have no tranquility," he said.
As police continue their search for the driver, Katherine Valencia Caro struggles to make sense of the tragedy. "Why? Why were you in such a hurry? Was it worth it? You've taken someone's life, you've taken someone's mother, sister, daughter," she said.
She prays that Patricia did not suffer in her final moments. "I hope she didn't suffer. When I watch the video and I can see that she was there, I'm just praying to God that she didn't suffer."
The crash happened around 9:06 a.m. Saturday at N.W. 17th Ave. and 54th St. Authorities said two people in the Mercedes were also injured, one of whom had to be extricated from the vehicle. Four victims remain hospitalized at the Ryder Trauma Center, including one in critical condition.
Miami police have not released a description of the driver, who fled the scene.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Miami Police or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.
A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for tips leading to an arrest.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
6 hours ago
- Associated Press
Longtime DEA informant charged in alleged scheme to extort high-level cocaine traffickers
MIAMI (AP) — A drug informant who helped the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration build some of its biggest cases has been arrested and charged with scheming to extort major cocaine traffickers facing extradition from Colombia and the Dominican Republic. Jorge Hernández, 57, was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday with one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud. He remains in custody after being arrested and making his initial court appearance Wednesday in federal court in Fort Lauderdale. Court papers allege that Hernández operated a scheme starting in 2020 in which he pretended to be a paralegal who, for the right price, could obtain lighter sentences for drug kingpins, according to 17-page FBI affidavit. The FBI alleged that Hernández demanded payments of $1 million from six suspected drug traffickers who ended up surrendering or being extradited to the U.S. In exchange for the payments — which came in the form of cash, jewelry, properties and vehicles in Colombia — Hernández guaranteed short prison sentences that would be served 'in an apartment similar to being on house arrest,' the court papers said. But Hernández never delivered on his promises, nor did he have authority to offer such leniency. As the traffickers who thought they were buying influence grew upset, he would deny responsibility and shift blame to the traffickers' attorneys, the FBI said. Nestor Menendez, an attorney who represented Hernández at his initial appearance, declined to comment. In two decades as a confidential informant, Hernández had been one of federal law enforcement's most prolific case-makers, providing the types of tips and information that led to prosecutions of high seas drug smugglers , a former University of Miami money laundering expert and a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro . Better known in law enforcement circles by his Spanish nickname Boliche — bowling ball — the beefy, bald-headed Colombian was also the star witness in the 2023 bribery trial of two former DEA supervisors convicted for leaking information on ongoing drug investigations. He got his start as an informant in 2000 shortly after he was arrested in Venezuela, where he had fled to escape drug dealers seeking to kill him, according to a 2023 investigation by The Associated Press . After bribing officials to secure his release, he approached the DEA, admitting to killing three people during his days as a drug runner near his home along Colombia's Caribbean coast. He then began helping the DEA build some of its biggest cases. Agents grew so reliant on Hernández's network of criminal associates across the Western hemisphere that they set him up with a phone and desk at a federal anti-narcotics task force, the AP found. The DEA terminated his cooperation agreement in 2008, court records show, after authorities discovered he had threatened to expose informants as snitches unless they paid him to keep quiet. But he kept close to some of his former DEA handlers and eventually returned to Miami. In 2016, he met DEA agent John Costanzo, who was supervising agents investigating Colombian businessman Alex Saab, a suspected bag man for Venezuela's Maduro. In 2023, Hernández testified against Costanzo and another former DEA agent convicted of taking bribes from narco defense attorneys. Hernández turned the tables on the DEA around the same time he was charged alongside University of Miami professor Bruce Bagley for helping move $3 million on behalf of Saab, who prosecutors said was secretly negotiating a deal to betray Maduro. Those charges remain under seal. In the complaint unsealed Wednesday, the FBI that Hernández is serving a term of probation on a federal conviction for conspiracy to commit money laundering that is set to end in May 2027. — Mustian reported from New York.
CBS News
7 hours ago
- CBS News
Video shows ICE detaining Cuban immigrant after Miami court asylum hearing
A Cuban immigrant was abruptly detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the hallway of a Miami federal courthouse Monday, following what was supposed to be his final immigration hearing. "This is unfair… It's not fair," screamed Daysis Salvador, the wife of 44-year-old Didie Espinoza, as she recorded video of her husband being handcuffed and taken into an elevator by plainclothes ICE agents with covered faces. Surprise detention after case dismissed "As they see you come out of court, these men immediately run to detain you," Salvador told CBS News Miami. A U.S. citizen, Salvador met Espinoza two years ago and the couple married this June after waiting for his divorce to finalize. Espinoza, originally from Cuba, arrived at the U.S. southern border in May 2022 and requested political asylum. He was granted I-220A status, a parole designation given to thousands of Cuban migrants at the time. Under current federal policy, that status disqualifies him from applying under the Cuban Adjustment Act, which allows Cuban nationals who enter with a visa to adjust their status more easily. "This is an immigrant who came to the United States in May of 2022. He came to the southern border to request political asylum," said immigration attorney Laura Jimenez, who represented Espinoza in court. "By September of 2022, being diligent on his case, he submitted his asylum application." According to Jimenez, Espinoza had received notice to appear in court for a hearing on June 16. She says that during the hearing, the government's prosecutor announced, "The federal government is dismissing the case." "Since the asylum is filed with the immigration court, which is the one that has jurisdiction over the case, if they dismiss the case, there's no asylum," Jimenez explained. She has since filed an appeal and told Salvador that while the case is pending, Espinoza should not be deported. Plea to lawmakers Espinoza is currently being held at the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach. "My message is to our legislators, Maria Elvira Salazar, (Mario) Diaz-Balart and others, please comply with everything you promised… my husband has not committed any crime… he has been a law-abiding citizen who wanted to live in a free country," Salvador said. She is now calling on South Florida's Cuban American members of Congress to intervene in her husband's case.
Miami Herald
10 hours ago
- Miami Herald
‘Warm smile, kind heart': Family, friends mourn woman killed in Wynwood shooting
Evelyn Valdes rang in her 28th birthday in classic Miami fashion. Though the occasion took place days earlier, she took to Wynwood's club-lined streets Saturday to celebrate with friends under the blacklights of hotspots like 1-800-Lucky and Mayami Wynwood. Hours later, as last-call patrons trickled out onto the street, she was caught in a deadly crossfire between police officers and an armed man, cutting her life short. At around 3 a.m., cops in the area 'confronted' a man with a gun along Northwest First Court and 23rd Street before 'shots were fired,' Miami Police spokesperson Officer Mike Vega told the Miami Herald in an email. The gunfire hit both Valdes and the armed man, who were transported to Jackson Memorial's Ryder Trauma Center and pronounced dead, he confirmed. Whether Valdes was killed by police gunfire or the armed man is still unclear as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the lead agency for police-involved shootings, continues to investigate. 'Evelyn lived every moment to the fullest, capturing life's beauty with unyielding passion,' reads a statement released by the attorney of Kristy Garcia, Valdes' mother, on Tuesday. 'Her absence leaves a void that words cannot describe.' The 28-year-old was identified by Garcia before authorities through a GoFundMe page that she organized. In a note posted with the fundraiser for her funeral, the mom described her as 'not the intended target, just an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire' and said she was remembered for her 'warm smile, kind heart, and the way she could bring light into any room.' According to the Valdes family, Evelyn loved the ocean, had a sharp sense of humor and had recently come to the Christian faith. To her family — who knew her as 'Titi Evelyn' or 'Nana' — she spearheaded many academic firsts. Valdes grew up a Homestead local in the halls of the Medical Academy for Science and Technology, becoming the first high school graduate in her household in 2015. Her friend Michelle Trujillo, who attended MAST with the 28-year-old, shared on the social media platform that their after school routine consisted of Valdes 'walking past my house and stopping by to say hi on her way home.' She went on to complete a bachelor's and master's degree in social work at Barry University, graduating in 2023 after 'trials and tribulations, sleepless nights, lots of studying, and a couple of humbling hick-ups,' as one of her Facebook posts reads. Her account shows her to be an avid concertgoer who enjoyed traveling to places like South Carolina, Louisiana and the Bahamas. After finishing her studies, Valdes dedicated her talents to advocating for child victims of abuse and neglect at a local nonprofit, her family shared. To honor her, they say, answers are needed. 'We demand answers about the night that stole her from us and we also demand accountability from those involved,' reads the Valdes' statement. 'With limited information available, we plead for the community—near and far—to come forward with any details, including witness accounts, photos, videos, or social media posts, that could clarify the events leading to this tragedy.' Loved ones of the second victim, the armed man, are making similar requests. Though authorities haven't confirmed, family members are identifying him as 30-year-old Norman Lindo Jr. Saddened friends of his, like Tazzy Redd, are calling Saturday's shooting into question. Saying Lindo was the little brother of her kids' godmother, she took to Facebook asking community members to send in any video footage of the incident, saying 'We just really need to know what happened because we don't know.' Answers from authorities could come once the investigation is complete since 'FDLE as a routine does not comment or provide additional information,' on active investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement told the Miami Herald in an email. 'Our family is overwhelmed with heartbreak, grief, anger, and countless unanswered questions,' read the Valdes' statement. 'The details surrounding that fateful night remain sparse, leaving us desperate for truth and accountability to honor Evelyn's memory.'
