Over 900 tips led to arrests in fatal Grapevine Lake jet ski hit-and-run crash
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- Over 900 public tips aided officials in arresting Daikerlyn Gonzalez Gonzalez in Dallas.
- Gonzalez faces manslaughter and hit-and-run charges after fatal jet ski crash.
- ICE detainers filed after identifying suspects as Venezuelan nationals.
Hundreds of tips from the community led to the arrest of the woman who’s accused of striking and killing an 18-year-old kayaker Sunday at Grapevine Lake, officials said at a news conference Wednesday.
Twenty-one-year-old Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez was arrested Tuesday in Dallas in the death of Ava Moore. She faces charges including second-degree felony manslaughter, Texas Game Warden Capt. Joseph Quintero said at the news conference.
“It is a tragic, tragic situation, and I hope that people will take this and use this opportunity to not only remember Ms. Moore, but also to remember to be safe on the public waters,” Quintero said. “That when you do things out on the public waters, when you make decisions, they ... not only affect you, but they will affect the people around you.”
Texas Game Wardens and the Grapevine police and fire departments responded to the fatal crash on Grapevine Lake at Oak Grove Park about 5:20 p.m. Sunday.
Warrant says recklessness, speeding caused death
Witnesses told police that Gonzalez was driving a jet ski and had “recklessly made several passes along the shoreline with wanton disregard to the safety of others,” according to the suspect’s arrest warrant affidavit. Moore and another kayaker were trying to paddle away from the danger when the jet ski plowed into the back of Moore’s kayak, witnesses said.
The second kayaker said she turned around to see the yellow and blue jet ski run over the top of Moore’s kayak, the affidavit states. The two occupants of the jet ski stopped and started to turn back, but then sped away after apparently realizing Moore was injured.
Moore suffered head trauma in the collision, authorities said. Witnesses and first responders tried to save her, but she died on the way to the emergency room at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center.
Quintero said the jet ski’s passenger stayed on shore with the other witnesses, but Gonzalez got into a car with 21-year-old Maikel Coello Perozo and left.
Their Toyota Corolla hit two cars while leaving the area, police said. Coello Perozo was arrested along with Gonzalez at a Dallas home. He faces misdemeanor charges of collision involving damage to a vehicle and hindering apprehension, according to Quintero.
Gonzalez also faces charges of reckless operation and excessive speed in a personal watercraft, and leaving the scene of an accident involving death, according to her arrest warrant affidavit.
The Grapevine Police Department is leading the investigation into the hit-and-run accident involving the Toyota, and Texas Game Wardens are investigating the collision on the water that led to Moore’s death.
Additional charges could be filed against Gonzalez and Coello Perozo as the investigation continues, Quintero said. On Wednesday, they were both being held without bond in the Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth. It’s unclear whether they have defense attorneys.
The passenger of the jet ski isn’t currently facing any charges.
Quintero attributed the suspects’ arrest to the more than 900 tips reported by the public and “good hard detective work.”
Witnesses provided police with videos and photos to help identify the suspects. Some of the videos showed bystanders trying to restrain Gonzalez and her passenger, while others seemed to guard them as they walked to the parking lot, according to the affidavit.
Suspects held on ICE detainers
Gonzalez and Coello Perozo are from Venezuela, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson Joshua Johnson. They were both arrested while crossing the southern border illegally in 2023 or 2024, processed, given a notice to appear and then released, he said.
ICE has lodged immigration detainers for both suspects, Johnson said, which means they will be turned over to ICE custody once the state of Texas has completed its criminal cases against them. At some point, they will appear before an immigration judge who will have the final decision on whether they are deported to Venezuela, he said.
The two suspects knew each other, according to Quintero, but their exact relationship isn’t clear. Authorities are still trying to determine who owned the jet ski Gonzalez was operating and if alcohol was a factor in the crash.
Gov. Greg Abbott posted about the case on X, sharing a link to a news story and writing, “Welcome to Texas. Here’s your Death Penalty.”
If the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office charges Gonzalez with manslaughter, the maximum sentence she could face if convicted is 20 years in prison, according to Texas law.
Water safety rules
Quintero said the next step in the investigation involves bringing in a forensic team who will use technology to recreate the watercraft crash.
Quintero confirmed that two Texas Game Wardens were patrolling Grapevine Lake in a boat when the fatal crash occurred, but they weren’t in the vicinity of the accident.
“We had boats on holiday weekends on all the major bodies of waters throughout the DFW area,” Quintero said. “Lake Lewisville, Grapevine, Benbrook, Eagle Mountain and so forth. So we have limited resources, and we have to spread them out a little bit thinly.”
Those operating jet skis are supposed to abide by the 50-foot rule, meaning they can’t go any faster than a slow idle while within 50 feet of any object or the shoreline.
“If they had applied that law, as they were supposed to, this incident wouldn’t have happened,” Quintero said.
Victim’s family grateful for prayers
Moore’s family said in a statement that they are grateful for the love, prayers and support they have received in the wake of the tragedy. They are asking for privacy as they grieve and process their loss.
“This is a difficult time for all involved, but also an opportunity for our beautiful girl to continue to impact our community,” the family said. “Out of this tragedy, God will make good, and that only can be accomplished through forgiveness.”
Moore was a 2024 graduate of Timber Creek High School in Keller ISD and played basketball as a student at the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School. She graduated from the preparatory school May 19, according to a U.S. Air Force Academy social media post.
Moore was spending time with her family in North Texas before entering the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs as part of its class of 2029.
“We lost an exemplary teammate this weekend – Cadet Candidate Ava Moore, whose passion for leadership and service left an impact on everyone she met,” Lt. Gen Tony Bauernfeind, the superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy, said in a statement Tuesday. “Ava’s constant happiness and attitude helped her squadron get through the challenges of the Prep School, and her drive to excel was on display as she sought out leadership positions to improve herself and her team.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Moore’s family cover her funeral expenses.
This story was originally published May 28, 2025 at 4:15 PM.
