PHILADELPHIA (WFMZ-TV) – Over a year after a wrong-way driver hit and killed a motorcyclist on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the suspect has been arrested.
Onanyeli Rosario-Mesa, 25, of Allentown, was arrested Wednesday in the 2700 block of Stanwood Street in Northeast Philadelphia, according to the U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia.
Rosario-Mesa was arrested by members of the U.S. Marshals Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force.
She was wanted by Pennsylvania State Police on charges of homicide by vehicle while DUI, involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and related offenses.
Law enforcement officials say that on March 30, 2025, around 9:00 a.m., Rosario-Mesa was driving under the influence and travelling on the wrong side of Route 476, when she struck a group of motorcyclists.
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When officers arrived at the crash site Rosario-Mesa said “It’s all my fault, I was tired and falling asleep. I thought I bumped into something and then woke up.”
When she was asked if she had been drinking, she allegedly replied she “consumed two or three shots of tequila.”
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Video surveillance footage showed Rosario-Mesa’s vehicle driving southbound in the northbound lanes, passing several vehicles that pulled to the side of the road to avoid her before striking multiple motorcylists, according to a news release.
Officers say there were two damaged motorcycles at the scene. One driver, identified as 50-year-old John Sweeney Jr., was pronounced dead at the scene. Sweeney died from blunt force injuries due to motorcycle/motor vehicle crash and his death was ruled accidental by the Lehigh County Coroner.
“We did a blood test that came back that included blood alcohol content above the legal limit for driving that occurred at the time of the crash,” said Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan.
A blood draw at the hospital allegedly yielded a 0.104% BAC, which would place the defendant over the legal limit.
A warrant was issued by the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office on April 7.
Holihan explains why it took more than a year to charge Rosario-Mesa, saying the length of time it took in this case is not unusual.
“We like to take a lot more time to make sure it’s complete, make sure it’s accurate, and that we have a full picture of what happened, including the videos, the reconstruction from the roadway evidence, as well as the digital evidence preserved on the cell phones,” he said.
On Rosario-Mesa’s cell phone, investigators found a text she allegedly sent roughly an hour and a half before the accident that read, “I hate alcohol I be talking too much nonsense.”
The fugitive case was delegated to the U.S. Marshals Task Force in Allentown after Rosario-Mesa failed to surrender, according to Robert Clark, Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal.
On Tuesday night, an anonymous tip was received by officials, saying that Rosario-Mesa was hiding in Philadelphia with her boyfriend, Clark said.
At approximately 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, investigators went to the boyfriend’s apartment on Stanwood Street and arrested Rosario-Mesa without incident.
She was then transported to the Pennsylvania State Police Troop T, Pocono Barracks, for processing and arraignment, according to officials.
“No action can reverse this senseless tragedy, but I hope that today’s arrest represents progress in delivering justice for the Sweeny family,” said Robert Clark.
Rosario-Mesa’s bail has been set at $500,000 and she remains in Lehigh County Jail.
Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. May 12.