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For nearly two decades, Joaquín Freire lived with a promise etched in his memory: to find the woman accused of causing the death of his sister, Gloria Hall, in a hit-and-run that occurred in August 2006 in the city of Hialeah.
This week, that promise began to be fulfilled with the capture and extradition from Mexico of the Cuban Leydis Menéndez Abdala, the main suspect, who had been on the run for 19 years.
Freire, a police officer in South Florida, transformed his grief over the loss of his sister into an unwavering search that ultimately bore fruit. While he acknowledges that the arrest does not erase the pain, it represents a crucial step toward justice.
"These have been 19 years of not stopping the search for this person," he declared in an exclusive interview with Telemundo 51.
A case marked by escape and silence
On the day of the accident, Menéndez Abdala was taken to the hospital, where a blood sample was taken for toxicological analysis.
The Hialeah Police had a court order to send the sample to the lab, but, according to the prosecution, the accused was in a relationship with a police officer at the time, which allowed her to learn about the proceedings against her and flee the state.
Since then, their whereabouts were a mystery. Their eventual location and capture in Mexico were the result of years of investigation, family pressure, and international cooperation.
A mix of relief and pain
The moment Freire received the call informing him of the suspect's arrest was, in his words, an experience filled with conflicting emotions.
"Quite a few emotions. Emotions of joy because we reached this point after 19 years, and then also the pain of the emotions that I had gone through," he confessed.
Although the arrest brings relief to the family, it also reopens wounds that have never fully healed. Gloria Hall had a life ahead of her when she was struck. Since then, her absence and silence have profoundly impacted her loved ones.
"He has never faced what he did."
This Tuesday, Menéndez Abdala appeared before the court in Miami and pleaded not guilty. The judge denied him bail, and a new hearing was scheduled for Thursday. For Freire, the refusal to acknowledge the facts was expected.
"I see it as something that doesn't surprise me. He has never faced what he did, accepting responsibility for killing another person, my sister, and then fleeing."
Despite this, he hopes that the judicial process will progress and that there will eventually be a sentence proportional to the damage caused.
Justice also for the accomplices
Freire also called for an investigation and accountability for those who helped Menéndez Abdala evade justice for so long.
"That he accepts the consequences of what he did, because everything has its consequence for what a person does [...] I hope that any accomplice faces justice," he claimed
The case was not just another one for Freire. He experienced it as a brother and as a police officer.
"It's something that happens quite often in my profession, but I never thought that one day it would happen to me. That someone would knock on my door and tell me that my sister had passed away," she stated.
The promise that sustained the search
The promise that Joaquín Freire made to his sister shortly after the funeral became the driving force of his life for nearly two decades.
"I once told her in the cemetery that I would never stop until the day I found her, or they found her," he concluded.
And it was fulfilled. Thanks to her persistence and the work of the authorities, today the accused is in the hands of justice.
However, the Hall family is aware that the legal process has only just begun. The extradition is not the end, but the start of a new phase that may be lengthy, yet now it is moving through the proper legal channels.
Meanwhile, Joaquín Freire remains steadfast, with the same conviction that has supported him for 19 years. The memory of his sister and the struggle for truth continue to guide his path.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Case of Leydis Menéndez Abdala and the Search for Justice for Gloria Hall
Who is Leydis Menéndez Abdala and why was she detained?
Leydis Menéndez Abdala is a Cuban citizen accused of causing a fatal accident in 2006 in Hialeah, Florida, while under the influence of alcohol. After the accident, she fled and remained a fugitive for 19 years until she was captured and extradited from Mexico to the United States.
What happened on the day of the accident that caused the death of Gloria Hall?
On August 12, 2006, Leydis Menéndez Abdala ran a red light in her vehicle and hit Gloria Hall, who died at the scene. Abdala, who admitted to being under the influence of alcohol, was taken to a hospital, from which she escaped before being formally arrested.
How was it possible to capture Leydis Menéndez Abdala after so many years?
The capture of Leydis Menéndez Abdala was the result of years of investigation, family pressure, and international cooperation. She was ultimately located in Mexico and extradited to the United States, thanks to the coordination between U.S. and Mexican authorities.
What has been the impact of the case on Gloria Hall's family?
The death of Gloria Hall has left a deep impact on her family. Her brother, Joaquín Freire, has been an active voice in the pursuit of justice, transforming his grief into a nearly two-decade mission to find Menéndez Abdala. Although the arrest represents a relief, it also reopens wounds and the desire for all those involved in the accused's escape to be held accountable.
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