Mario Careaga, 46, appeared in court Monday for jury selection in his DUI manslaughter trial and victim Nancy Lopez-Ruiz' mother Adela sobbed as she told reporters, 'I have no words to express the pain.'
The beautiful 22-year-old was killed on September 10, 2010 after she pulled over her Suzuki sport motorcycle on the side of the road in Fort Lauderdale and Careaga allegedly crossed three lanes of traffic in his white 2009 Mercedes-Benz, slamming into her.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
'For a mother, for a father, yes, it is very, very hard,' Adela Lopez told wsvn.com outside court Monday.
'It's in the hands of the people who serve justice. We are anticipating that justice will be served.'
Her father, Armando, added that seeing his daughter's alleged killer for the first time was 'very hard.'
The cheerleader grew up in the Bradenton area and was a college student living in Plantation when she tried out and won a spot as a Miami Heat dancer. She was supposed to start performing publicly in October 2010.
On the night of the deadly crash she was reportedly coming home from practice.
Meanwhile, Careaga, a wealthy insurance executive, was spotted at an event at a nearby mall shopping for jewellery with a glass of champagne in his hand just one hour before the collision.
According to police, his blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit, at .23 and .24 percent.
According to responding police, he was 'swaying from side to side and in a circular motion.'
They also said he had 'bloodshot, glassy eyes, slurred speech, the odor of alcoholic beverages coming from his person, unsteady balance and difficulty supporting himself.'
A video of the crash has not been released but may be shown to jurors.
In court on Monday, Careago looked uncomfortable. He has been free on bond as he awaited his trial, which has faced repeated delays.
Now underway, the trial is expected to last all week.
WSVN-TV - 7NEWS Miami Ft. Lauderdale News, Weather, Deco
Read more...
