ICE identifies jet ski suspects in Air Force cadet candidate's death as illegal immigrants

The suspect and her alleged accomplice linked to the jet ski hit-and-run death of an Air Force cadet candidate over Memorial Day weekend have been identified as illegal immigrants, according to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official.

During a Wednesday news conference in Grapevine, Texas, Joshua Johnson, acting field director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Emergency Removal Operations in Dallas, confirmed that 21-year-old Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez and 21-year-old Maikel Coello Perozo are both illegal immigrants from Venezuela. 

Gonzalez was allegedly operating the jet ski that struck and killed 18-year-old Ava Moore on Sunday at Grapevine Lake. Moore was a United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) cadet candidate and part of USAFA's Class of 2029, according to the military school. 

"It's my understanding that both the individuals crossed the southern border in 2023 or 2024," Johnson said. "They were arrested at the time of entry, processed on a notice to appear, and then released on their own recognizance."

He added that ICE has lodged immigration detainers against the suspects, and that after the criminal justice proceedings against them in Texas are complete, they will be processed for removal. 

Capt. Joseph Quintero, game warden at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, announced that Gonzalez has been charged with second-degree felony manslaughter. 

Perozo has been charged with collision involving damage to a vehicle and hindering apprehension, both misdemeanors, after allegedly driving away from the scene with Gonzalez.

He said both were arrested in Dallas on Tuesday, and that the relationship between them remains unclear. 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton first announced that the pair were in the country illegally on Tuesday night.  

"We've arrested an illegal alien for killing Ava Moore and another illegal alien connected to her death," Paxton wrote in a Tuesday post on X.

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"Ava Moore's senseless death was caused by an illegal alien who should have never been in our country in the first place," Paxton wrote in a news release.

"My heart breaks for Ava's family and friends, and my prayers are with them as they face this tragedy," Paxton continued. 

ICE did not respond to a request for comment.

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"We are thankful for the help of fellow law enforcement officers from the Texas Attorney General's Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Dallas Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations," the Texas Game Wardens said in a statement.

Paxton added that his office "will continue to work with local, state, and national law enforcement partners to secure justice for Ava."

According to FOX 4, Moore was just weeks away from her lifelong dream of joining the military. She was scheduled to leave for Air Force basic training and was home in Texas visiting family during Memorial Day weekend. 

Moore was reportedly a student and star basketball player at the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School in Colorado.

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"You know, we talked throughout the course of the year that at some point in her career she was going to be a four-star general because she loved it," her coach, Ke'sha Blanton, told the outlet. "She made those around her better."

Blanton said she is feeling sadness and anger over Moore's death. 

"They took a bright, bright star from our lives," she said. 

Investigators said two women were on a jet ski that struck Moore on Sunday evening.

According to police, a passenger on the jet ski remained on the scene, while the operator of the craft allegedly fled and then left with a male. The pair allegedly crashed into a vehicle during their escape from the scene. 

Moore was pulled to shore and treated for severe head trauma before being taken to a nearby hospital where she later died, the outlet reported. 

"Our thoughts are with Ava's family and friends during this difficult time. Texas Game Wardens remain committed to keeping our public waters safe," the Grapevine Police Department shared in a statement.