Ivanna Villanueva, a 19-year-old UM sophomore, was charged with vehicular homicide, DUI manslaughter and possession of false driver’s licenses on Monday, according to police reports.
At 4:30 a.m. on Oct. 4, Villanueva crashed her father’s Audi Q5 into Eyder Ayala’s Ford Focus. The impact pushed the back of Ayala’s car into the front seat, according to a report released by WSVN Miami, the local Fox affiliate.
Villanueva was driving back from South Beach after drinking underage at Liv, a club located inside the Fountainebleau Hotel. Her blood alcohol level after the crash was .231, according to an article in The Miami Herald.
Ayala, a manager at a local McDonald’s, was returning home from a night shift. The 68-year-old was a mother of five and a grandmother of seven.
The court set Villanueva’s bond at $50,000, and she was released on bond out of jail the same day.
She was given an electronic bracelet and put under house arrest. However, she is allowed to attend classes.
Ayala’s family is suing Villanueva and her father for negligence. Attorneys for the family also mentioned that they might pursue a lawsuit against Liv for serving alcohol to Villanueva, according to a report released from CBS 4.
David O. Markus, Villanueva’s attorney, released a statement to The Miami Herald: “This is a tragic case all around, and the Villanueva family would like to extend their deepest sympathies to the Ayala family.”
A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2012.