Brother Confronts Cuban Woman Accused of Fatal Hit-and-Run in Hialeah Courtroom

Nearly twenty years after the tragic loss of his sister in a deadly hit-and-run in Hialeah, Joaquín Freire, a commander with the Miami Police, finally faced the woman who shattered his family's peace. Leydis Menéndez Abdala, a 52-year-old Cuban national, appeared in a Miami-Dade court this week following her arrest in Mexico and subsequent extradition to South Florida. She faces charges of vehicular homicide and manslaughter for driving under the influence of alcohol during the August 12, 2006 accident that claimed the life of Gloria Marcia Hall, aged 40, as she was driving down 68th Street in Hialeah.

During the courtroom proceedings, Freire expressed the emotional weight of seeing Abdala after so many years. "It brings back the pain this person caused me and my family. Not only because she didn't take responsibility for her actions. That's what's most important," he told NBC Miami. "On the other hand, I feel a sense of relief seeing her sitting there in her orange sweater, knowing she's in county jail."

Prosecutors highlighted that Abdala's blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit. However, before she could be arrested in 2006, she was tipped off by her then-partner, a Hialeah Police officer, and fled the country. The prosecution suspects that other officers also aided in her escape.

Two Decades on the Run

The case lingered in obscurity for nearly two decades while Gloria Hall's family clung to the hope of justice. As Freire recounted in a previous interview with Telemundo 51, his grief turned into a vow: to never rest until the responsible party was found.

"I once told her at the cemetery that I would never stop until the day I found her, or she was found," he declared.

Abdala's capture occurred after news of her impending deportation from Mexico, which ultimately facilitated her extradition to the United States. The judge denied her bail, and the next hearing is scheduled for the end of the month.

The victim's brother insists that accountability should extend beyond the accused driver. "I hope that any accomplice also faces justice," he stated, referring to those who assisted in her escape.

For the Hall family, Abdala's arrest signifies a critical, yet insufficient, step forward. "It's been 19 years of relentless searching for this person," Freire recalled. "The arrest doesn't erase the pain, but it's a beginning for achieving justice at last."