On Sunday afternoon, Boynton Beach police arrested Leticia Flores, 28, for the hit-and-run killing of 10-year-old Darness Brown. The girl’s 13-year-old sister, Darneisha Ellis, was also injured when Flores allegedly hit their scooter. Boynton Beach police spokeswoman Stephanie Slater said the girls were riding their scooter on Southwest Ninth Avenue at Southwest Third Street when Flores hit them with her Honda SUV.
In what had to be a sickening scene, Darneisha told the police that as her sister was dying next to her, Flores jumped out of her vehicle and screamed at the two girls for being on the street, she then fled the scene.
The girl’s story was supported by an eyewitness. Jessica Thomas, 24, told police she ran outside when she heard the crash. The affidavit claims: "Once outside, she observed the driver of the vehicle standing outside staring at the injured pedestrian. Thomas then stated that the driver (Flores) got into her vehicle and fled the scene."
Police caught up to Flores as she pulled into a convenience store parking lot. She told the arresting officers that she left the accident scene because there were other people who had come to the girls’ aid. She also said that she ran because she has no drivers license.
A good Samaritan performed CPR on the little girl until paramedics arrived. However, having sustained severe internal damage, she died shortly after arriving at Delray Medical Center.
Flores was arraigned on Tuesday, with Judge Ted S. Booras setting bail at $1 million. Booras cited not only the serious nature of the crime, but Flores’ immigration status as the reasons behind the large bail amount.
The girls' uncle, Lamont Davis told reporters outside the courtroom: "My niece told me... the lady who hit her got out of the car and came over to them and told them they shouldn't have been in the road. ... And then gets back in the car without trying to see what's wrong with them at all."
Darness' aunt, Regina Horne, told the Palm Beach Post about her niece, saying: "She loved her mother to death. She was her mother's little shadow."
Click on the link to read more about the deadly impact illegal immigration is having on our highways: http://www.examiner.com/x-5919-Norfolk-Crime-Examiner~y2009m7d12-Illegal-aliens-have-turned-our-roads-into-killing-fields
