The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has detained a foreign national convicted in connection with the death of Kaitlyn Weaver, a 24-year-old woman killed in Colorado last year.
The suspect, a Colombian teenager, avoided jail despite being found guilty of her death.
The 15-year-old, whose name has not been disclosed due to juvenile protection laws in Colorado, was sentenced to probation and community service. District Attorney Amy Padden, a Democrat, approved the plea arrangement.
The sentence included two years of probation and 100 hours of community service. The charges stemmed from a fatal car crash in July 2024 that resulted in Weaver’s death.
According to the victim’s father, John Weaver, the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office extended a plea offer after the teen admitted guilt in the incident.
The crash occurred when the teen was allegedly street racing with other juveniles at 90 mph in a residential neighborhood. Weaver’s vehicle was struck at an intersection, leading to her immediate death, according to her father.
Weaver had been stopped at the intersection and speaking with her boyfriend on the phone when the collision happened. She was placed on life support but passed away two days later.
Initially, the juvenile suspect was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide. The District Attorney’s Office had first told the family there would be no plea deal, per Trending Politics.
John Weaver said prosecutors reversed their position and later agreed to a plea deal, despite previously telling the family otherwise.
District Attorney Amy Padden, who has received political backing from Governor Jared Polis and Senator Bernie Sanders, ultimately allowed the reduced sentence to proceed.
Weaver criticized the prosecution’s decision, arguing that they chose to become part of a flawed system. He believed the judge should have decided a lesser sentence independently, without the aid of a lenient plea deal.
He expressed frustration that the prosecutors facilitated what he saw as an inadequate punishment for the death of his daughter.
A photograph of Kaitlyn Weaver, shared by her father, was included in coverage of the story.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) later confirmed that the Colombian teen and several of his family members had been taken into custody.
ICE officials posted a statement on social media criticizing the District Attorney’s Office for opting for probation over incarceration in a fatal case involving an illegal immigrant.
The federal agency stated that the 16-year-old, convicted of reckless driving causing death, is now in ICE custody and will face an immigration court hearing.
John Weaver publicly thanked ICE for stepping in and acknowledged the nationwide support his family had received during the case.
He further commented on how the juvenile justice system prioritizes rehabilitation over accountability, suggesting that it did not provide
justice in his daughter’s case.
