Illegal immigrant teen who killed woman in fatal Colorado crash given sweetheart plea deal

A deadly crash that claimed the life of a young Colorado woman has ignited public outcry after a 15-year-old illegal immigrant received a plea deal that allowed him to avoid jail time.

In July 2024, 24-year-old Kaitlyn Weaver was killed in a high-speed collision in Aurora, Colorado while sitting at a stop sign and speaking to her boyfriend on speakerphone, when a Jeep, driven by the teenage suspect, blew through the intersection at an estimated 90 mph and T-boned her vehicle. She was placed on life support for two days before her family made the painful decision to donate her organs, per Fox News.

The 15-year-old Colombian boy behind the wheel was reportedly racing with other teenagers through the residential neighborhood. He was unlicensed and was driving an uninsured vehicle he had taken without his mother’s permission. Authorities later revealed he was in the United States illegally and has since applied for asylum. He has not been publicly named because of state laws that shield the identity of underage criminal suspects.

Despite being initially charged with vehicular homicide, the teen was sentenced to just two years of probation and 100 hours of community service in a deal offered by the office of Arapahoe County District Attorney Amy Padden, a progressive prosecutor who has received endorsements from prominent Democrats including Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Colorado Governor Jared Polis.

Kaitlyn's father said the family was initially assured there would be no plea offer, only to be informed months later that there would be a deal. Prosecutors reportedly argued that the probation sentence could be more than a judge might impose after a guilty plea. "You don't have to participate in a bad system," John Weaver told Fox News. "If the judge wanted to sentence him to less, that’s the judge’s issue. What happened in this case is you created it into your issue. Now you're part of the problem."

The family’s attorney, Matthew Durkin, strongly criticized the plea agreement, calling it “abhorrent” given the severity of the crime and the loss of life. He emphasized that Kaitlyn was killed during the prime of her life, and argued that the sentence failed to reflect the gravity of the offense.

John Weaver expressed disbelief that someone in the country illegally, who had committed multiple offenses—including driving without a license or insurance—could walk free after killing his daughter. "We had a collision where the immigration system and the criminal justice system collided, and now my daughter's dead," he said.

The teen’s mother told authorities she intended to move him back to Colombia, but he has instead filed for asylum.

Arapahoe County Assistant District Attorney Ryan Brackley defended the plea deal, stating that while the teen’s actions were “reckless and unlawful,” the conviction acknowledged the seriousness of the tragedy. “No legal outcome can truly make up for the profound loss and void Kaitlyn’s loved ones will live with permanently,” he said.

District Attorney Amy Padden also addressed the case in a Facebook post, focusing on the dangers of speeding. “This tragic loss is a powerful reminder that it is not just alcohol or drug-impaired driving that takes lives. Driving at dangerous speeds has deadly consequences too, and they are felt by our entire community,” she wrote.