MIAMI – A 39-year-old woman appeared in Miami-Dade County court on Sunday after detectives accused her of causing a fatal crash while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Miami.
Police officers arrested Rosa Blanco-Herrera on Friday and correctional officers booked her shortly before 9:15 a.m., on Saturday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, records show.
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Attorney Moncy Blanco-Herrera, her brother, asked Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Javier A. Enriquez for house arrest during the bond hearing. He said she lived with their parents and was not a flight risk.
“These are very serious charges,” Enriquez said in court after setting her bond at the standard of $25,000 and denying the requests for a lower bond and house arrest.
Prosecutors filed a charge of DUI manslaughter against Blanco-Herrera on Sunday for the Miami Police Department case, according to Miami-Dade County court records.
According to Blanco-Herrera’s arrest report, the crash occurred Friday night in the area of Southwest 17th Avenue and 22nd Street.
Police said she was driving a silver 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee in the parking lot of a Wells Fargo bank when she claimed her boyfriend fell out of the SUV near the drive-through ATM as they were arguing.
A witness told police the SUV kept heading south before the driver stopped, reversed and ran over the victim. The witness said they saw the driver then continue forward toward the ATM.
According to the report, a second witness then saw Blanco-Herrera trying to turn her boyfriend onto his back and appeared to be trying to help him.
City of Miami Fire Rescue personnel responded a short time later and pronounced the victim dead at the scene.
“Due to the defendant’s carefree and unusual demeanor towards the victim’s injuries, and unsteady walk and slurred speech (the officer) believed field sobriety exercises were necessary to determine if she was impaired at the time of the incident,” the arrest report stated. “Ofc. Diaz then asked the defendant if she was willing to let her check her eyes and perform field sobriety exercises at which point the defendant stated yes.”
According to the report, based on the field sobriety tests, it appeared Blanco-Herrera was under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance.
As she was being detained by officers, Blanco-Herrera spontaneously told them that she drank two glasses of rose while having dinner earlier in the night with her boyfriend, the report stated.
Police said she refused to provide a blood sample or take a Breathalyzer test until she spoke with her brother. Authorities said they eventually collected a blood and urine test after obtaining a warrant.
Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Zachary N. James will be presiding over the case.
Detectives were asking anyone with information about the case to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.