Latest news with #IvanaGomez
Daily Mail
08-08-2025
- Daily Mail
Drunk driver who killed pedestrian allegedly told cops: 'It was just a homeless person'
A drunk driver who killed a woman in a hit-and-run allegedly described the victim as 'just a homeless person.' Ivana Gomez, of Florida, was driving at up to 100 mph in her BMW when she fatally struck 41-year-old Kathryn Kipnis before trying to flee, authorities said. 'It was just a homeless person that I hit and it is just an accident,' Gomez said after she was detained in the early hours of May 30, according to an arrest report. Gomez, 32, was speeding through Little Havana in Miami when the tragedy unfolded. Kipnis was hit with such force that her head shattered the windshield, leaving strands of hair embedded in car's passenger seatbelt. More than four months after the deadly crash, newly released bodycam footage revealed the moments following Gomez's fatal strike - and her alleged chilling disregard for human life, according to NBC 6 Miami. It remains unclear why Gomez believed the victim was homeless - or why she thought that fact, if true, would justify or lessen the severity of what happened. Just after 1am on May 30, an officer spotted Gomez speeding through Southwest 22nd Avenue and 8th Street in Miami, driving a 2019 blue BMW. The officer, who tried to catch up with Gomez at speeds over 100mph after spotting her reckless driving, tragically witnessed her slam into Kipnis, according to the report. Kipnis's family said their loved one was walking home along Southwest 21st Avenue after a night out with friends, as reported by the outlet. 'No one ever expects their child to go before them,' Daniel Kipnis, the victim's father, told NBC Miami. Yet even after violently mowing down the 41-year-old, Gomez didn't stop, according to the arrest report. Instead, she allegedly ignored the flashing lights and blaring sirens of the officer in pursuit with her foot still on the gas. The brief chase ended when Gomez hit a red light and got boxed in behind two stopped cars, leaving her with nowhere to run. Photos of the wrecked BMW showed a gaping hole in the shattered windshield, glass strewn across the hood, and the front bumper mangled and peeling away. According to the arrest report obtained by NBC, the officer noted a strong smell of alcohol on Gomez's breath, bloodshot, watery eyes, and visible difficulty completing a field sobriety test. Investigators also noticed fresh vomit in her car, according to the report obtained by WSVN News. After allegedly stumbling through the initial test, Gomez refused to take any further sobriety tests and instead requested a lawyer. Detained: 'It was just a homeless person that I hit and it is just an accident,' Gomez allegedly stated while being placed in the back of a police car As she was being placed in the cruiser, police wrote in their report that Gomez blatantly admitted to feeling no remorse. Authorities said she 'spontaneously' told the arresting officer it was an accident - and besides, the victim was 'just a homeless person.' Nearly five hours after the crash, Gomez's blood tests revealed a staggering BAC well above the legal limit - registering .112 and .109, officers wrote. Even six hours after the crash, around 7am, her blood alcohol level remained just above the legal limit at .088, according to the arrest report. 'The defendant's flagrant disregard for human life by striking the victim and fleeing the scene demonstrates a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others,' the document said. On May 31, Gomez made her first court appearance, where the judge confronted her about her shocking remarks dismissing the woman she killed as 'just a homeless person.' 'Your Honor, I never said that,' Gomez responded, according to WSVN. 'I did not say that whatsoever. That's false.' Prosecutors doubled down, emphasizing that Gomez remains a danger to Miami's streets, showing blatant disregard for the consequences of her actions. They requested her bond to be set at $1 million. Rachel Kipnis, the victim's cousin, also appeared via Zoom during the hearing, passionately condemning the recklessness that so abruptly and undeservedly took her loved one's life. 'I just want Your Honor to be aware of what a shining light has been taken out of this world by the incredible irresponsibility of this defendant,' she told the court, according to WSVN. Gomez was initially charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash and resisting an officer without violence. However, the judge set her bond at $251,500 - well below the $1 million prosecutors requested. Records show Gomez remained in custody at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade as of Tuesday. If Gomez does manage to post bond, she will be placed under house arrest, stripped of her passport, and ordered to steer clear of alcohol and driving. Meanwhile, prosecutors are awaiting crucial data from the BMW's black box and toxicology reports - evidence that could lead to additional charges, including vehicular homicide. 'My daughter was vivacious, lovable, everyone really liked her,' Daniel Kipnis told Local 10 News after the crash.
Daily Record
08-08-2025
- Daily Record
Drunk driver kills pedestrian in horror crash - but tells police she hit 'homeless person'
Ivana Gomez, 32, is accused of ploughing her BMW into 41-year-old Kathryn Kipnis - who was not homeless - an impact which dragged the woman for more than 230 feet A suspected drink-driver smashed her vehicle into a pedestrian - fatally injuring her - before heartlessly telling officers the victim was "just a homeless person". Ivana Gomez, 32, allegedly drove her BMW straight into 41 year old Kathryn Kipnis - who was not homeless - with such force that the woman was dragged over 230 feet before being "violently thrown off" the car. A police officer who witnessed the shocking collision in Miami, Florida, had to reach speeds exceeding 100 mph to catch up with Gomez as she fled the scene. The motorist was eventually apprehended when she became trapped at traffic lights, according to authorities. Gomez, who is facing manslaughter and vehicular homicide charges, "spontaneously stated that it was just a homeless person that I hit and it is just an accident," the crime report states, reports the Mirror. Officers noted that Gomez reeked of alcohol, displayed bloodshot, watery eyes and had fresh sick in her vehicle, WSVN reports. She failed a field sobriety test and immediately requested legal representation, the police report continued. Body-worn camera footage released this week shows Gomez in handcuffs and barefoot shortly after her arrest on the DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide charges in Miami. Nevertheless, the footage doesn't capture her dismissing the victim as "just a homeless person" - a statement Gomez refuted when questioned during her initial court appearance in May. However, as they prepare a case for Gomez's next court appearance, the police continue to assert this. They have already shared with the media shocking images of the wrecked BMW and a large, head-shaped hole in the windscreen. At the May hearing, prosecutor Laura Adams stated that Gomez "hit the victim so hard that the victim's head went into the vehicle, through the windscreen, and some of the victim's hair got caught on the passenger's seat belt." Yet at that same hearing, in response to the "homeless person" comment, Gomez told the judge: "Your Honour, I never said that. I did not say that whatsoever. That's false." Ms Kipnis, who hails from Miami, was not homeless and was returning home after an evening out with friends, her father informed reporters earlier this year. Gomez, whose blood alcohol level was. 112 - exceeding the US legal limit of .08 - five hours post-crash, remains detained on a $251,000 (£187,000) bond.
Daily Mirror
07-08-2025
- Daily Mirror
Suspected drunk driver kills pedestrian but tells cops it was 'just a homeless person'
Ivana Gomez is alleged to have sped her BMW through Miami, Florida, and is said to have careered into Kathryn Kipnis - who was not homeless - so hard she died from the impact A suspected drunk driver careered her car into a pedestrian - killing her - and then callously told police the victim was "just a homeless person". Ivana Gomez, 32, is said to have ploughed her BMW into 41-year-old Kathryn Kipnis - who was not homeless - an impact which dragged the woman for more than 230 feet before she was "violently thrown off" the vehicle. A police officer who witnessed the horrific crash in Miami, Florida, had to drive at more than 100 mph to keep up with Gomez as she sped off. But the motorist was eventually caught when she got stuck at a red light, police say. Gomez, who faces manslaughter and vehicular homicide charges, "spontaneously stated that it was just a homeless person that I hit and it is just an accident,' according to the crime report. Police noted that Gomez smelled like alcohol, had red, watery eyes and there was fresh vomit in her car, WSVN reports. She struggled with a field sobriety test and demanded a lawyer, the police report added. Bodycam footage released this week shows Gomez in handcuffs and without shoes moments after her arrest on the DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide charges in Miami. However, it does not capture her dismissing the victim as 'just a homeless person' — which Gomez denied ever saying when it was raised at her initial court hearing in May. But police continue to allege this, as they prepare a case for Gomez's next court appearance. They have already released to the media shocking images of the mangled BMW and a gaping, head-shaped hole in the windshield. Gomez "hit the victim so hard that the victim's head went into the vehicle, through the windshield, and some of the victim's hair got caught on the passenger's seat belt," said prosecutor Laura Adams at the May hearing. Yet at that hearing, in relation to the "homeless person" remark, Gomez told the judge: "Your Honour, I never said that. I did not say that whatsoever. That's false." Ms Kipnis, from Miami, was in fact not homeless and was on her way home after a night out with friends, her father told reporters earlier this year. Gomez, whose blood level was .112 — above the US legal limit of .08 — five hours after the crash, remains locked up on a $251,000 (£187,000) bond. Devastating CCTV captured the moments before a cocaine-fuelled driver sparked a horror crash on the M6 - killing his 14-year-old son. Daniel Burba, 31, veered off the southbound carriageway in his Peugeot Bipper van near Lancaster on April 20.
Daily Mail
06-08-2025
- Daily Mail
Female BMW driver struck and killed pedestrian - then told cop 'It was only a homeless person,' police say
A Florida woman who killed another woman in a hit-and-run later told police that she didn't think it mattered because the victim was 'just a homeless person,' authorities claim. Ivana Gomez, 32, was speeding through Little Havana in her BMW while intoxicated in the early morning hours of May 30 when she allegedly struck 41-year-old Kathryn Kipnis before attempting to flee the scene. Kipnis was hit with such force that her head shattered the windshield, leaving strands of hair embedded in car's passenger seatbelt. More than four months after the deadly crash, newly released bodycam footage revealed the moments following Gomez's fatal strike - and her alleged chilling disregard for human life, according to NBC 6 Miami. 'It was just a homeless person that I hit and it is just an accident,' Gomez allegedly stated while being placed in the back of a cop car, according to the arrest report. It remains unclear why Gomez believed the victim was homeless - or why she thought that fact, if true, would justify or lessen the severity of what happened. Just after 1am on May 30, an officer spotted Gomez speeding through Southwest 22nd Avenue and 8th Street in Miami, driving a 2019 blue BMW. The officer, who tried to catch up with Gomez at speeds over 100mph after spotting her reckless driving, tragically witnessed her slam into Kipnis, according to the report. Kipnis's family said their loved one was walking home along Southwest 21st Avenue after a night out with friends, as reported by the outlet. 'No one ever expects their child to go before them,' Daniel Kipnis, the victim's father, told NBC Miami. Yet even after violently mowing down the 41-year-old, Gomez didn't stop, according to the arrest report. Instead, she allegedly ignored the flashing lights and blaring sirens of the officer in pursuit with her foot still on the gas. The brief chase ended when Gomez hit a red light and got boxed in behind two stopped cars, leaving her with nowhere to run. Photos of the wrecked BMW showed a gaping hole in the shattered windshield, glass strewn across the hood, and the front bumper mangled and peeling away. According to the arrest report obtained by NBC, the officer noted a strong smell of alcohol on Gomez's breath, bloodshot, watery eyes, and visible difficulty completing a field sobriety test. Investigators also noticed fresh vomit in her car, according to the report obtained by WSVN News. After allegedly stumbling through the initial test, Gomez refused to take any further sobriety tests and instead requested a lawyer. 'It was just a homeless person that I hit and it is just an accident,' Gomez allegedly stated while being placed in the back of a cop car As she was being placed in the cruiser, police wrote in their report that Gomez blatantly admitted to feeling no remorse. Authorities said she 'spontaneously' told the arresting officer it was an accident - and besides, the victim was 'just a homeless person.' Nearly five hours after the crash, Gomez's blood tests revealed a staggering BAC well above the legal limit - registering .112 and .109, officers wrote. Even six hours after the crash, around 7am, her blood alcohol level remained just above the legal limit at .088, according to the arrest report. 'The defendant's flagrant disregard for human life by striking the victim and fleeing the scene demonstrates a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others,' the document said. On May 31, Gomez made her first court appearance, where the judge confronted her about her shocking remarks dismissing the woman she killed as 'just a homeless person.' 'Your Honor, I never said that,' Gomez responded, according to WSVN. 'I did not say that whatsoever. That's false.' Prosecutors doubled down, emphasizing that Gomez remains a danger to Miami's streets, showing blatant disregard for the consequences of her actions. They requested her bond to be set at $1 million. Rachel Kipnis, the victim's cousin, also appeared via Zoom during the hearing, passionately condemning the recklessness that so abruptly and undeservedly took her loved one's life. 'I just want Your Honor to be aware of what a shining light has been taken out of this world by the incredible irresponsibility of this defendant,' she told the court, according to WSVN. Gomez was initially charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash and resisting an officer without violence. However, the judge set her bond at $251,500 - well below the $1 million prosecutors requested. Records show Gomez remained in custody at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade as of Tuesday. If Gomez does manage to post bond, she won't walk away completely unscathed - she'll be locked under house arrest, stripped of her passport, and ordered to steer clear of alcohol and driving. Meanwhile, prosecutors are digging deeper, awaiting crucial data from the BMW's black box and toxicology reports - evidence that could lead to additional charges, including vehicular homicide. 'My daughter was vivacious, lovable, everyone really liked her,' Daniel Kipnis told Local 10 News after the crash.
CBS News
11-06-2025
- CBS News
Driver accused in Little Havana hit-and-run that killed woman now facing vehicular homicide, DUI manslaughter
The driver accused in last month's hit-and-run that killed a woman who was crossing a Miami street is now facing additional charges after her toxicology report revealed she was driving under the influence at the time of the crash. According to updated arrest documents obtained by CBS News Miami, 32-year-old Ivana Gomez is now facing vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter charges after her toxicology report showed she had blood alcohol content (BAC) levels over the legal limit when she hit and killed 41-year-old Kathryn Kipnis in the early hours of May 30. "The defendant's flagrant disregard for human life by striking the victim and fleeing the scene demonstrates a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others," the updated arrest documents said. When Gomez was first arrested, she faced several other charges, including leaving the scene of a crash involving death and resisting arrest without violence. City of Miami Police noted in the arrest documents that Miami-Dade Assistant State Attorney Laura Adams was notified and briefed about Gomez's additional charges. The crash that shut down Little Havana for hours Just after 1 a.m. on May 30, Miami Police said Gomez was driving a blue 2019 BMW 330i westbound on Southwest 7th Street at high speeds when a nearby officer saw her speeding past him near 16th Avenue. According to the updated arrest documents, Gomez was driving so fast that the officer had to "travel over 100 mph" just to catch up with her. As the officer was catching up with Gomez, he witnessed her strike Kipnis with such force that a chunk of her hair became embedded in the car's windshield and headrest. According to the updated arrest documents, Kipnis was carried by Gomez's car for approximately 231 feet before her body was "violently thrown off" the vehicle. She died at the scene. The officer immediately turned on his emergency lights and continued to pursue Gomez until she stopped at a red light at Beacom Boulevard, where her car — showing heavy front-end damage — was blocked in by traffic. Police said when they interacted with Gomez, she smelled strongly of alcohol, had bloodshot and watery eyes, and failed an eye exam during field sobriety testing. She refused further testing and asked for a lawyer. While she was sitting in the back of a police vehicle, Gomez spontaneously told officers the victim was a "homeless person" and claimed it was "just an accident," arrest documents said. Despite her refusal, Miami Fire Rescue conducted two blood draws after police obtained a search warrant. During the second attempt, officers had to forcibly move Gomez into a fire rescue truck for the procedure. Authorities noted in the arrest documents that they found what appeared to be fresh vomit inside her car during the investigation. Southwest 7th Street was shut down for several blocks that morning as police and first responders investigated. CBS News Miami crews on the scene saw officers surrounding the area where Kipnis' body remained, and later observed Gomez receiving a medical exam two blocks from the crash site. On Monday, Miami Police received the final toxicology report from the University of Miami's Forensic Toxicology Laboratory. According to updated arrest documents, the results from the exigent blood draw — taken about two-and-a-half hours after the crash — revealed that her BAC levels were between 0.162 and 0.159 g/100ml. The legal BAC limit in Florida is 0.08 g/100ml or 0.08%. During the first blood draw after the search warrant was issued, Gomez's BAC levels were between 0.112 and 0.0109 g/100ml, which was taken approximately four hours and 47 minutes after the crash. The second blood draw showed her BAC levels were at 0.088, nearly six hours after the crash, the updated arrest documents said.
