To avoid persecution murderer flees to Brazil

To avoid persecution murderer flees to Brazil

‘March For Justice’ Rally held in Pompano to bring awareness to community

L-r: Calvin Bagg, Jermuni Shuler, Ajah Santiago, Martha Wright and Walter Hunrer hold up  banner as they prepare as they prepare to bring awareness to the community with the “March for Justice” concerning the deaths of Deborah Peterman and James Carr.

By Jimmie Davis, Jr.

How is it that a drunken lady from Brazil can kill two people on I-95 – not take a breathalyzer but consent to a blood draw where the results didn’t come back until six months later – get arrested – post a $50,000 bond – wasn’t asked by the Judge nor Palm Beach State Attorney’s Office to surrender her passport – be placed on community control, and before the trial starts she skips town by boarding the first plane back to Brazil?

Daniela Torres, 23, is the culprit that killed Deborah Peterson, 44, and James Carr, 42.

Peterson was ejected out of the vehicle and died on the scene, and Carr sustained fatal injuries and died at the hospital. Calvin Baggs was another passenger in the automobile that survived the terrible crash.

The deadly accident transpired back in 2008, and there’s been no justice for Peterson, Carr or Baggs. To bring attention to this issue, and keep the momentum going forward so elected officials such as Congressman Alcee Hastings can put pressure on the government to extradite Torres – a “March For Justice” was held Saturday June 29, at Annie Adderly Gillis Park in Pompano Beach, Florida.

“The March For Justice is to bring awareness to the community about what happened to my daughter and her friends,” said Martha Wright during the march.

“We want the federal government to go to Brazil and bring Torres back to stand trial for the murder of my daughter and Carr.”

An inquiry was done by Homeland Security that revealed that Daniela Torres flew from Miami to Brazil on August 15, 2012 with a scheduled return flight of Aug. 19, 2012 in which Torres didn’t board the returning flight.

Wright maintains that if the Florida Highway Patrol [FHP] would have given Torres a breathalyzer on the night of the tragic accident she would have failed it and been arrested at the scene.

Furthermore, she says that if officials would have requested that Torres hand over her passport she would still be in the country.

The March started a little after 10 a.m. on Blanche Ely Avenue north to Northwest 10th Street and east to Ester Rolle Avenue then south to Hammondville and west back to the park.

During the March the neighbors heard the chants of “We want justice” – spiritual hymns and preaching by Rev. Johnson and others, which made them come outside with amazement as to what was going on.

On every street the marchers walked along there was people sitting on their front porches smiling and waving – some even came and joined the rally as the mobile DJ played musical selections.

“We are just trying to get our day in court,” said Baggs. “This is a start of justice for our fami-lies.”

Antonio Santiago, 30, said he was driving along Hammondville road with his aunt when he received the call that his mother [Peterson] was killed.

After all of the time that has passed since his mother’s death he still doesn’t understand why FHP allowed Torres to walk away free?

“Right now my kid’s mother has me on child support and if I miss payments the court will take away my passport and license,” said Santiago. “Torres took away two lives and they allowed her to keep her pass-port. That’s the part that bothers me.”

Wilton a family friend of Peterson thinks Torres parents knows her location and should be held accountable as well.

“They bonded their daughter out of jail,” said Wilton. “They are harboring a fugitive.”

Walter Hunter, President of the Northwest Pompano Beach Civic Association participated in the March also said that he’s scheduled for a meeting with Hastings on Sunday morning.

“We can’t allow foreigners to come into our country and kill people and then flee,” Hunter said. “We want the justice system to operate in Palm beach County.”

NFL player Derrick Roberson [free agent] was on hand to lend support to Peterson, Carr and Baggs.

“I would like to see these families get some type of closure,” said Roberson. “America’s criminal justice system helps who it wants to help.”