Family in Round Rock is grieving after their 12-year-old daughter, Jaliyah, was killed in a hit-and-run incident. Her 13-year-old sister, Desirae, is currently recovering from injuries sustained in the accident. The tragic incident occurred on April 11, leaving the family devastated and the community in shock.
According to Desirae Dodson, the older sister, they were walking back to their apartment complex after purchasing snacks at the 7-Eleven on La Frontera Boulevard in Round Rock when the accident happened. “That was the last time I saw her,” Desirae said, recalling the moment.
As they were crossing the street, a white Mustang struck them. “I was just sitting there and crying and screaming, and I was just sitting on the floor, and I was looking around to find my sister because I thought she had run back home, and she wasn’t there,” Desirae recounted.
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Jaliyah was thrown 168 feet by the impact, leading to fatal injuries. Desirae, though injured, survived with a broken leg and finger.
The driver of the Mustang, identified as 21-year-old Jose Alfredo Gondina De La Cruz, fled the scene. He was later apprehended at his home. According to court documents, De La Cruz admitted to fleeing because “he was scared and did not know what to do, so he ran home and told his mother what had happened.”
“Why didn’t you help my babies?” Jazmine Green, the girls’ mother, questioned in her grief.
De La Cruz has been charged with second-degree felony failure to stop and render aid causing death. His first court appearance is scheduled for May 14.
Desirae and Jaliyah were rushed to the hospital, but Jaliyah couldn’t be saved. “Jaliyah, she was a very special girl, she had a heart of gold,” Green said, remembering her daughter fondly.
The family has started a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses.
