Maricopa County, Arizona — A devastating rollover crash in Arizona that killed a 9-year-old girl and injured three other children has now led to the arrest of the children’s mother by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to officials.
Authorities say the woman, identified as 30-year-old Brenda Liliana Rivera-Estrada, is suspected of driving while impaired during the April 12 crash that ended in tragedy.
Child Killed in Violent Arizona Crash
According to investigators, the crash resulted in the death of Rivera-Estrada’s 9-year-old daughter, who was reportedly ejected from the vehicle during the rollover accident.
Officials said the young girl had allegedly been sharing a seatbelt with another child at the time of the crash. Three additional children inside the vehicle — an 11-year-old boy, a 3-year-old boy, and a 1-year-old baby girl — also suffered injuries.
Authorities described the scene as severe, with emergency responders rushing to help the injured children following the violent rollover.
Police Suspected Driver Was Impaired
Investigators believe Rivera-Estrada may have been under the influence when the crash occurred.
According to reports, Arizona troopers smelled the odor of marijuana at the crash site, and officials later stated that Rivera-Estrada admitted during a court hearing that she had smoked marijuana.
“The suspect chose to get in a vehicle where she was allegedly under the influence of marijuana,” a prosecutor told. “Multiple witnesses stated that she was driving above the posted speed limit, which was 65.”
Authorities accused Rivera-Estrada of several felony offenses related to manslaughter and child abuse. She was initially held on a $100,000 bond.
ICE Takes Mother Into Custody
Although county prosecutors had not yet formally filed charges, Rivera-Estrada was later released from local custody before being taken into federal immigration custody through an ICE detainer.
ICE officials confirmed that Rivera-Estrada is now being held pending immigration proceedings.
“The identification and arrest of Brenda Liliana Rivera-Estrada by ICE underscores the importance of the Criminal Alien Program and highlights the public safety efforts undertaken by officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Phoenix Deputy Field Office Director Alejandro Almeida said in a statement.
He added, “Her fate now rests with the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, and any available administrative or judicial appellate recourse, which will determine her eligibility to remain in the United States.”
Prosecutors Say Investigation Is Ongoing
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell clarified that prosecutors had not declined the case and said additional investigation is still underway.
“I have said this many times: we have one chance to get this right,” Mitchell said. “Complex cases like this routinely take time to gather the evidence needed to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
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Officials said investigators are still awaiting DUI laboratory results and a completed collision analysis before making final charging decisions.
Immigration History Revealed
According to ICE, Rivera-Estrada allegedly entered the United States through Nogales, Arizona, in February 2009 as a nonimmigrant border crosser with authorization to stay for up to 30 days.
Authorities allege she remained in the country beyond that permitted period, violating federal immigration laws.
ICE officials said the agency first encountered Rivera-Estrada at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Intake, Transfer and Release facility after she was booked on April 16.
The case has sparked intense reactions online as investigators continue working to determine exactly what led to the deadly crash that claimed the life of a young child.
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