A suspect who was illegally in the country was recently apprehended following a traffic collision fatality in Central Florida.
Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office apprehended the suspect following a tragic traffic crash. The crash occurred on Snell Creek Road in Davenport and is being investigated by the PCSO Traffic Homicide Unit.
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A white F250 work truck with one adult male driver was heading north on Power Line Road, which intersected with Snell Creek Road. A silver Toyota pickup carrying one adult male driver and two adult female passengers approached the intersection on Snell Road westbound. According to law authorities, the Toyota truck failed to stop at the stop sign, causing a collision with the F250 truck.
The Ford F250 collided with the Toyota’s driver side. The F250 rotated 180 degrees and halted in the yard northwest of the crossing. The Toyota flipped onto its roof and halted in the same yard.
All but one of the passengers wore seatbelts. When rescue arrived, the 34-year-old lady from Davenport, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was found dead inside the vehicle. The other passenger, a 36-year-old Groveland woman, sustained significant injuries and was taken to a local hospital. The driver of the F250, a 45-year-old Haines City man who was legally in the nation from Mexico with a valid work permission card, was injured and sent to a local hospital. The driver of the Toyota sustained several abrasions but rejected medical treatment.
The driver of the Toyota truck, 45-year-old Billado Mendez, originally said that the deceased female passenger was driving at the time of the incident, but evidence indicated that he was the actual driver.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Mendez entered the nation illegally from Mexico and has never had a valid driver’s license. Mendez’s criminal past includes a DUI arrest and a vehicle with no valid driver’s license.
Mendez was arrested for driving without a valid license, resulting in death, and providing false information to law enforcement during an investigation. Mendez is an unauthorized alien; thus, both accusations are heightened. Mendez has been placed under an ICE hold.
“This is a tragic incident that never should have happened. Driving without a license endangers lives, and lying to investigators only makes matters worse,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “What’s especially troubling is that this individual was in our country illegally and had no legal authority to operate a vehicle, yet his reckless decisions led to a woman losing her life.”
Detectives were looking for any next of kin or family members of 34-year-old Heydi Maricela Funes Inestroza; if you have any information, please contact Detective Mendez at 863-668-3105.
