Arizona Woman Indicted on Manslaughter Charge in April Crash That Killed Daughter

A Maricopa County grand jury indicted Brenda Rivera Estrada on one count of manslaughter, three counts of endangerment, one count of possession or use of dangerous drugs and one count of possession or use of drug paraphernalia. The charges stem from an April 12 rollover crash on northbound Interstate 17 near Cactus Road in Phoenix.

Authorities said Rivera Estrada was driving an SUV that rolled over, ejecting her nine-year-old daughter, who was sharing a seatbelt with a sibling. Three other children—an 11-year-old boy, a three-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl—suffered minor injuries.

Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers reported smelling marijuana at the scene, and later toxicology results showed both marijuana and methamphetamine in Rivera Estrada’s system.

Rivera Estrada, a Mexican national, entered the United States through Nogales, Arizona, in February 2009 as a nonimmigrant border crosser authorized to remain for up to 30 days. She remained beyond that period, according to federal immigration officials.

ICE agents took her into custody on an immigration detainer after local authorities released her following the crash. She was transferred from ICE custody to the Maricopa County Jail after the indictment and is being held on a $250,000 cash bond.

Mitchell said the case required additional investigation before charges could be filed. "I have said this many times: we have one chance to get this right," Mitchell said last week. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Phoenix Deputy Field Office Director Alejandro Almeida said the arrest highlighted the role of the Criminal Alien Program in public safety efforts.

Rivera Estrada remains in custody pending further court proceedings.