Two Venezuelan nationals living in the U.S. illegally have been arrested in connection with the death of 18-year-old Ava Moore, a Texas teen and Air Force recruit, after a jet ski hit-and-run incident on Grapevine Lake.
Moore was kayaking near Oak Grove Park on May 25 when she was struck by a speeding jet ski. Authorities identified the driver as 21-year-old Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez, who fled the scene in a car with 21-year-old Maikel Coello Perozo. Witnesses said the jet ski had been operating recklessly near the shoreline. A passenger on the watercraft stayed behind and cooperated with investigators.
Moore, a standout basketball player and recent U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School graduate, had returned home for Memorial Day weekend and was just weeks away from starting basic training. She sustained fatal head injuries and was pronounced dead shortly after the crash.
Following a coordinated search involving local law enforcement and federal agents, both suspects were arrested at a Dallas-area residence after a brief standoff. Gonzalez faces a second-degree felony manslaughter charge with a $500,000 bond. Perozo is charged with fleeing the scene of an accident, with further charges pending.
The tragedy has reignited debate over immigration enforcement in Texas, with top officials calling the case preventable and expressing outrage over the suspects’ immigration status. The incident has sparked widespread calls for justice and tighter public safety measures.