The family of a woman who was killed in a crash in Hialeah back in 2006 is speaking out following the arrest of the alleged drunk driver who spent nearly two decades on the run.
Nineteen years ago, on Aug. 12, Gloria Hall was hit by a driver who ran a red light on 68th Street. Her car was destroyed, and she was killed instantly.
“We are elated that justice is finally being pursued,” Hall’s family said in a statement on Monday.
Miami Police Department
Miami Police Department
Gloria Hall
As Hall’s family searched for clues on Leydis Menendez Abdala’s whereabouts, the alleged drunk driver had apparently fled to Mexico.
According to prosecutors, Menendez Abdala’s alcohol levels were more than twice the legal limit. But before she could be arrested, her boyfriend, a Hialeah Police officer, had given her the heads up, and she fled the country. Other officers possibly helped her escape, prosecutors alleged.
But after 20 years, on Friday, prosecutors got word that the woman was being deported by Mexican officials. The U.S. government brought her to South Florida.
For Hall’s family, they are grateful that her case was not forgotten.
“While nothing can erase our pain, knowing that Gloria’s case has not been forgotten brings us strength and peace,” they said.
There are still a lot of unanswered questions, such as how Menendez Abdala lived in Mexico for so long, and who exactly in the Hialeah Police Department may have helped her escape. Officials said they planned to release more information this week.
For now, Menendez Abdala remains in jail, facing charges of vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter.
Miami-Dade Corrections
Miami-Dade Corrections
Below is the full statement from Hall’s family:
There are no words that can express the pain that we have endured for the past 19 years of having Gloria Marcia Hall, a mother, daughter, and sister who was taken from us due to the criminal and reckless actions of a person who has shown NO remorse.
Now, nearly two decades later, we are one step closer to justice for Gloria. Since that tragic morning in August 2006, Leydis Menendez-Abdala has never taken responsibility for her actions. Instead, she fled the country to avoid trial, living freely while our family lived with heartbreak. With the help of others who aided in her escape, she remained a fugitive for 19 years.
We are elated that justice is finally being pursued. While nothing can erase our pain, knowing that Gloria’s case has not been forgotten brings us strength and peace. To the media who kept her story alive, we thank you for ensuring her memory was never lost to time. To the many individuals and agencies who worked tirelessly on this case, whether in small ways or monumental ones, we are forever grateful.