HOUSTON – Tuesday marked one year since an alleged drunken driver was accused of crashing into a car, killing a woman, and leaving her family fighting for justice.
“We love you, Yana,” shouted Imani Rose, sister of Iyana Harris, during a balloon release and memorial at Miller Outdoor Theater in Hermann Park.
“She wasn’t robbed of her spirit, it merely was cut short than what we wanted,” Rose said.
Harris, 20, died after prosecutors alleged 36-year-old Rogelio Diaz-Garcia crashed into the back of the car in which Harris sat, killing her and injuring three others.
While Diaz-Garcia has been charged with intoxication manslaughter, court documents confirm his whereabouts have been unknown since February, as KPRC2 initially reported in March. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to KPRC2 Tuesday that Diaz-Garcia remains on the run.
“He literally, in essence, altered the course of four human beings’ lives and was given the privilege and the luxury of paying $20,000 and going about his business,” Rose said.
While court documents confirm Diaz-Garcia forfeited his $20,000 bond, court documents also confirm a judge initially lowered his bond from $100,000, days after he allegedly killed Harris.
Harris’ family feels disrespected by Diaz-Garcia’s disappearance and what they said was an overall lack of communication with officials close to the case.
“We were told that he was going to be on an ankle monitor and that we need not worry and that it was all under control and that they were watching him and monitoring him. He never showed up. We went into court three times, my mother and I,” Rose said.
Rose said they’ve received limited answers on Diaz-Garcia’s whereabouts despite word he may have fled to Mexico.
While Harris’ alleged killer remains at large, having broken his bond, her family has urged residents to take action by making smart choices at the polls this midterm election.
“People have to make their voices heard by voting,” Rose said.