Deadly DUI crash suspect on the run two months after no show at trial, family frustrated
TAMPA, Fla. - The families of two victims killed in a DUI crash in April 2022 are frustrated after the suspect accused of hitting and killing them failed to show up to court to stand trial.
"Ricky was just a jovial person. He was always happy. He always found a silver lining in any cloud. He could always brighten up your day," George Negrete, the father of one of the victims, said.
The family of Ricky Gongora share this picture of him before the deadly crash.
The families of 44-year-old Ricky Gongora and his friend Kris Koroly are still waiting for justice for their loved ones.
"It was three years in April and it still feels surreal. It still feels like a dream," Negrete said.
Timeline:
In April 2022, both men were on the Courtney Campbell Causeway when Tampa police say 36-year-old Joshua Roelofs rear-ended their car. Officers say Roelofs was drunk and going more than 100 mph when he slammed into them, killing both men.
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office releases mugshot of Joshua Roelofs.
In April, he was set to stand trial on charges of vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter, but Roelofs never showed up to court. The judge revoked his bond and issued a warrant for his arrest.
RELATED: Former deputy no-shows DUI manslaughter trial, warrant issued
What they're saying:
Gongora's dad, George Negrete, says he never should have been let out on bond.
"It's just a mix of emotions, just disgusted at the system that he was even out on bail for a little more than $4,000 to think that he was out being a free man after having taken two lives," Negrete said.
The backstory:
Roelofs used to be a Polk County deputy, but according to the sheriff's office, he was fired in 2015 after he was arrested for falsifying his time card.
"It's a grave injustice for him to be a fugitive now. I think he's just a coward. Everybody has to answer for their actions, and you know he took the easy way out," Negrete said.
It's been more than two months since Roelofs was last seen. Until he is taken into custody, the case is at a standstill, leaving the families without the closure they had hoped for.
"Turn yourself in. Be a man. You committed a crime of grave injustice, and you should have to answer for this," Negrete said.
The Source: FOX 13 gathered this with information from the victim's family.