LONG ISLAND, NY—A New York woman, Annmarie Drago, 63, was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to criminally negligent homicide for the death of Evelyn Rodriguez, 50.
The incident occurred in September 2018 at the same site where Rodriguez’s daughter, Kayla Cuevas, 16, was brutally murdered two years prior by gang members.
Rodriguez was fatally struck by Drago’s vehicle following a heated dispute over the dismantling of a memorial for Kayla, which Drago removed.
The memorial included candles, a tablecloth, flower bouquets, and vases, items Drago disposed of while attempting to sell a house nearby.
That wasn’t good for her business.
The confrontation escalated when Rodriguez approached Drago’s vehicle to demand the return of the memorial items.
Drago then accelerated, knocking Rodriguez down and fatally injuring her. The incident, captured by media on the scene, led to Rodriguez’s death from a fractured skull at a hospital.
Initially convicted of criminally negligent homicide, Drago’s conviction was later reversed by a New York appeals court in 2022 due to improper comments made by prosecutors during the trial.
This reversal led to her sentencing to probation, a decision that has deeply disappointed Rodriguez’s partner, Freddy Cuevas, and her surviving daughters.
Outside the court, Freddy Cuevas expressed his dissatisfaction with the outcome, describing the probation sentence as “a slap in the hand.” This case has highlighted ongoing tensions and the community’s struggle for justice in the wake of violent crimes and personal tragedies.