SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – The man who killed a 9-year-old girl while he was driving under the influence of alcohol was sentenced to 10 years in prison after taking a plea deal.
Ulises Mora, 42, was arrested in 2019 after Altamonte Springs police said he was driving drunk when he crashed into a vehicle occupied by a family of four at the intersection of Montgomery Road and Jamestown Boulevard.
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Authorities said Mora was driving a Porsche and crashed into an Acura. The impact caused the Acura to be split in half and ejected the rear passengers, 12-year-old Joshua Carro and 9-year-old Keilani Carro.
Witnesses said the Porsche was traveling up to 80 mph in a 40-mph zone, according to an arrest report.
Keilani Carro, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown 176 feet and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Joshua Carro was thrown 44 feet and was taken to the hospital for treatment, according to authorities.
An investigation revealed that speed was a factor in the crash and toxicology reports revealed Mora was under the influence of alcohol. According to an arrest report, Mora had a blood alcohol level of 0.123 hours after the crash, above the legal limit of 0.08 in Florida.
On Thursday, a plea hearing for Mora was held at the Seminole County courthouse.
Keilani Carro’s mother, Vanessa Carro, was in the courtroom for the proceedings.
“Finally, I feel happy justice has been served and I know she’s looking down and knows that we did the right thing,” Vanessa Carro said.
Keilani Carro’s mother described her daughter, calling her a “little star” who loved to dance.
“Keilani was just an amazing little girl. She was very sassy, she danced, she was very loud. She was so attached to me. She slept with me every night. We really miss her a lot,” Vanessa Carro said.
The victim’s grandmother, Millie Irizarry, read a statement in court from Vanessa Carro as she recalled the night her daughter was killed in March 2019.
“A family outing turned into the biggest nightmare when Mr. Mora crossed our path, killed my daughter, and terribly injured my son when he decided to drive drunk, hit our car, which broke in two pieces and almost killed me and my husband,” Irizarry said on behalf of Vanessa Carro.
Keilani Carro’s aunt, Marcy Rosa, also spoke during the proceeding. She remembered the day she learned the news.
“Now I will never be able to feel, hear or see any of this again due to the complete negligence of a poor decision made by Mr. Mora,” Rosa said.
Keilani Carro’s brother was also injured in the crash. According to a statement read to the judge from the victim’s siblings, he said every day he’s sorry he couldn’t do more to protect her.
“Knowing that I saw the car and I couldn’t grab her in time, it’s not right,” Joshua Carro said.
Mora also spoke during the hearing. He was in tears as he apologized to the victim’s family.
“I pray every single day before I go to bed that I don’t wake up and that she’s back and I swear to you I just wish tomorrow that she’s here and I’m not,” Mora said.
Mora’s attorney, Matt Olszewski, said he is remorseful.
“Both families are forever impacted and Mr. Mora and Mrs. Mora’s family would give anything to go back in time and trade places or prevent any of this from every happening,” Olszewski said.
But Kelani Carro’s family said that won’t bring her back.
“Even though he got locked up, doesn’t change anything. He still killed our sister,” Joshua Carro said.
Her cousin, Dakota Maniau, said Keilani Carro is irreplaceable.
“No amount of justice will fill the hole in our hearts,” she said.
Keilani Carro’s family asked the judge for the maximum sentence, which was 25 years in prison. According to the plea deal, which the family agreed to, Mora was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by two years of house arrest and 13 years of supervised probation. His driver’s license is also permanently revoked.