Press Releases

DUI Driver on the Run
March 7, 2009

In one single night, two mothers were ripped from their families – never to live another day because of the irresponsible actions of two drunk drivers. Once of those drivers will be sitting in a jail cell for the next decade paying for his crime. But the other is a fugitive, dodging his responsibilities – and on the run from the law.

In October 2006, Melissa Dunn took her 6 year old daughter out to McDonalds and the store for a treat, as a reward for bringing home a great report card. On the way home, a drunken Mateo Ortiz slammed into her car, killing Dunn on impact, and injuring her daughter.

“It hit her so hard that it drove her body across the front of the vehicle – and she had a seatbelt on and it broke her neck. That’s how hard that truck hit her," said Sarah Girard, Dunn’s mother.

While on the scene of Melissa’s crash, Lee County Deputy Margena Nunez would face an identical fate. A second driver, Augustin Lara-Nonez, barreled down State Road 82 after a night of partying, and slammed into the Deputy – killing her instantly.

But unlike Mateo Ortiz, who is housed in a jail cell at the Okaloosa Correctional Facility for the crime he committed, Augustin Lara-Nonez is still a free man - getting up each day and living his life, while the family of the Deputy whose life he took still mourns.

“I wish those people would understand the magnitude of the crime they’ve committed every day," said Anthony Nunez, the deputy's son.

Last December, Lara-Nonez was on the verge of accepting a plea deal – which would have landed him an 11 year jail term for the DUI manslaughter of Deputy Nunez. But the night before he was supposed to turn himself in, he took off. And as long as he remains on the run, the family cannot have closure and justice cannot be served.

“It’s a real slap in the face to families who have lost a love one because of their bad choice. That’s who I feel really bad for," said Brenda Gellinger of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office DUI Victim Assistance.

Though the man who killed Melissa Dunn is serving his sentence, Melissa’s family continues to hope for an arrest in Deputy Nunez’s case.

“Anyone who wasn’t a coward would step forward and say I’m sorry, I made a mistake," Girard said.

Anyone with information on the deadly fire in Immokalee is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477). All callers will remain anonymous and will be eligible for up to $1,000 in cash rewards. Tips may also be made online at www.swflcrimestoppers.org.