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The Cuban Leydis Menéndez Abdala, who was on the run for 19 years following a fatal hit-and-run incident in Hialeah, was finally sentenced this week.
Menéndez Abdala, who was driving under the influence of alcohol when she fatally struck Gloria Marcia Hall in 2006, has been sentenced to five years in prison, according to local media.
Finally, this Tuesday, Leydis Menéndez Abdala pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to five years in prison, in addition to being required to complete a substance abuse treatment program.
Your driver's license has been permanently revoked.
A fatal accident that marked a family
On August 12, 2006, Gloria Marcia Hall left her home in Hialeah at 4:00 a.m. heading to a religious retreat.
He was driving his car when, upon reaching a traffic light on 68th Street, a vehicle ran the red light and collided with him forcefully. Hall died on impact.
The responsible driver, Leydis Menéndez Abdala, was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital.
The tests conducted shortly after the incident confirmed that Abdala was driving under the influence of alcohol, with a blood alcohol level that was double the legal limit.
His reckless behavior resulted in charges of vehicular homicide and involuntary manslaughter for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI).
But before justice could take action, Abdala received a warning: her partner at the time, an officer from the Hialeah Police, alerted her that a blood sample would be taken. Thus began her flight.
The escape and 19 years of impunity
Menéndez Abdala escaped from the hospital and fled. For almost two decades, she was on the run, allegedly with the assistance of other officials, according to the Prosecutor's Office.
“I hope that any accomplices face justice,” stated later Joaquín Freire, brother of the victim and commander of the Miami Police.
The woman had been sought for years. Her name occasionally reappeared in the media and police reminders.
In 2023, Freire posted a heartfelt message on social media remembering his sister: “She was a loving friend, a beautiful sister, an amazing daughter, and above all, a loving mother.”
"My sister was murdered [...] while she was on her way to church for a retreat. [...] To make matters worse, the young woman who took my sister's life is on the run and has not been seen for a month," she wrote.
Capture in Mexico and extradition
In August 2025, U.S. authorities received the news that would change the course of the case: Menéndez Abdala had been captured and would be extradited by the Mexican authorities.
On August 29, she was admitted to a jail in Miami-Dade County. She was 52 years old. The case was back in the headlines.
During his first appearance before the court, the victim's brother was present.
“I told her once in the cemetery that I would never stop until the day I found her, or until someone found her,” he declared, visibly emotional.
"This revives the pain that this person has caused my family and me," she added.
Although for Gloria Hall's family the sentence may seem minimal after so many years of waiting, it at least represents a turning point.
Beyond Abdala's individual responsibility, the case revealed alleged irregularities within the Hialeah Police Department. The warning he received from his then-partner and the suspicion of complicity from other officers were never officially sanctioned.
The prosecutor's office has not confirmed whether additional investigations will be opened.
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