Four individuals suspected to be involved in the tragic death of 18-year-old Ava Moore on Lake Grapevine over Memorial Day weekend were in the country illegally, having entered during the Biden administration, with most encountered and released by federal authorities.
According to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Moore was kayaking on Sunday when she was struck and killed by a jet ski. The driver, identified as Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez, fled the scene with the help of others and was later involved in a separate hit-and-run while attempting to avoid arrest.
Gonzalez, a Venezuelan national, was arrested by law enforcement with the assistance of Paxton’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit. Immigration records indicate she entered the U.S. illegally in September 2023 and was released after being encountered by Border Patrol.
Texas Scorecard has learned that three other individuals tied to the incident, who helped her flee the scene or were present, are also Venezuelan nationals who entered the country within the last two years. According to federal records, they were either released with notices to appear years in the future, issued immigration court dates that were never processed, or overstayed temporary visas.
One individual re-entered the U.S. after initially being expelled under Title 42, while another filed an asylum application to avoid removal proceedings. None of them were held in detention.
One of these individuals has also been arrested.
“Ava Moore’s senseless death was caused by an illegal alien who should have never been in our country in the first place,” said Paxton.
The arrests involved cooperation between the Texas Attorney General’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit, Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Grapevine and Dallas police departments, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
