Deborah Murphy, an 82-year-old grandmother, was tragically struck and killed by an SUV in Panama City Beach, Florida, in May. The incident occurred outside a Publix as she walked back to her car, crossing a crosswalk.
The driver of the SUV, 26-year-old Carlos Suarez-Contreras, allegedly ran Deborah Murphy down, and his front-seat passenger, Luis Sanabria, 29, is also reported to be in the country illegally.
According to an arrest affidavit, after falling to the ground, the vehicle continued backing up, "running over Ms. Murphy." Both Suarez-Contreras and Sanabria claimed to be born in Venezuela, and they were issued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers.
Following the incident, Suarez-Contreras submitted a written plea of not guilty to the charge of driving with a canceled license and causing a death, a third-degree felony. He had been driving with a canceled Georgia license.
Before conducting an immigration investigation, a deputy on the scene noted that Suarez-Contreras provided "suspicious" answers to his questions. Sanabria, on the other hand, immediately left the scene on foot before law enforcement arrived.
It was only after Suarez-Contreras called him that Sanabria returned to the scene. This incident has left behind a grieving family and a community in shock.
