MIAMI — After nearly two decades on the run, Leydis Menendez Abdala has been arrested in connection with a deadly DUI crash that occurred in Hialeah in August 2006.
Authorities say Menendez Abdala was located and apprehended in Mexico before being brought back to the U.S. She made her first court appearance on Sunday morning, nearly 19 years after the crash that took the life of Gloria Hall.
Police confirmed they had been searching for Menendez Abdala since 2006, when she allegedly caused a fatal collision while driving under the influence. Hall died in the crash, leaving her family devastated.
In court, Hall’s brother, who serves as a City of Miami police officer, spoke emotionally about the long wait for justice.
“It’s been almost two decades, but we never gave up hope,” he said.
Menendez Abdala is expected to appear in court again on Monday as the case moves forward.
The arrest has drawn attention to long-running fugitive cases and the importance of international cooperation in bringing suspects in cold cases to justice.
