The individual suspected in the jet ski hit-and-run that resulted in the death of an Air Force cadet candidate over the Memorial Day weekend has been identified as an illegal immigrant, according to an official from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In a Wednesday news conference held in Grapevine, Texas, Joshua Johnson, the acting field director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Emergency Removal Operations in Dallas, revealed that 21-year-olds Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez and Maikel Coello Perozo are both illegal immigrants from Venezuela.
Gonzalez is accused of operating the jet ski that fatally struck 18-year-old Ava Moore on Sunday at Grapevine Lake. Moore was a United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) cadet candidate and a member of the USAFA Class of 2029, as stated by the military school.
Mugshots of Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez and Maikel Coello Perozo. (Texas Parks and Wildlife)
“It’s my understanding that both the individuals crossed the southern border in 2023 or 2024,” Johnson said. “They were arrested at the time of entry, processed on a notice to appear, and then released on their own recognizance.”
He added that ICE has lodged immigration detainers against the suspects, and that after the criminal justice proceedings against them in Texas are complete, they will be processed for removal.
Capt. Joseph Quintero, game warden at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, announced that Gonzalez has been charged with second-degree felony manslaughter.
Police arrested Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez in connection with a fatal jet ski hit-and-run. (Grapevine Police Department)
Perozo has been charged with collision involving damage to a vehicle and hindering apprehension, both misdemeanors, after allegedly driving away from the scene with Gonzalez.
He said both were arrested in Dallas on Tuesday, and that the relationship between them remains unclear.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton first announced that the pair were in the country illegally on Tuesday night.
“We’ve arrested an illegal alien for killing Ava Moore and another illegal alien connected to her death,” Paxton wrote in a Tuesday post on X.
A photo of Ava Moore, who was killed in a jet ski crash over Memorial Day weekend, and others. (The Moore family via FOX 4)
“You know, we talked throughout the course of the year that at some point in her career she was going to be a four-star general because she loved it,” her coach, Ke’sha Blanton, told the outlet. “She made those around her better.”
Blanton said she is feeling sadness and anger over Moore’s death.
“They took a bright, bright star from our lives,” she said.
Investigators said two women were on a jet ski that struck Moore on Sunday evening.
According to police, a passenger on the jet ski remained on the scene, while the operator of the craft allegedly fled and then left with a male. The pair allegedly crashed into a vehicle during their escape from the scene.
Moore was pulled to shore and treated for severe head trauma before being taken to a nearby hospital where she later died, the outlet reported.
“Our thoughts are with Ava’s family and friends during this difficult time. Texas Game Wardens remain committed to keeping our public waters safe,” the Grapevine Police Department shared in a statement.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
