Surveillance and police body camera footage has been released from the night a Florida woman allegedly drove an SUV into a lake, killing her best friend.
Julia Vega, 73, was arrested on January 31, about a month after police said she was intoxicated while driving with her longtime friend, 69-year-old Elsa Pintor, in the passenger seat. According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, Vega drove through an apartment complex parking lot just before 11 p.m. on December 31, 2024, when she suddenly accelerated, crashed into a yellow retainer pole and a chain-link fence, and then drove straight into a nearby lake. Vega managed to escape, but Pintor did not survive.
Local NBC affiliate WTVJ shared the newly released footage, including body camera video showing Vega asking officers, “Did my friend die?”
According to the affidavit, Vega climbed out of the SUV through the driver’s side window. Police were on the scene as she called for help, and officers were able to pull her to safety with a rope. Pintor, however, was rescued from the submerged vehicle with only a faint pulse and later died at the hospital.
The body camera footage shows Vega speaking with police at the scene. She is heard asking, “Did my friend die?” and was visibly disoriented. Officers reported that she was slurring her words, stumbling, and had bloodshot, watery eyes. Vega was read her Miranda rights and requested an attorney.
When officers told her she would need to complete a field sobriety test, Vega insisted, “I’m not drunk, we only had wine at Cooper’s Hawk.” She also questioned the officers, asking, “Why you keep me here so long? Why are you doing this in front of everybody?” She ultimately failed the sobriety tests and was ordered to provide a blood sample.
Toxicology results later showed Vega had a blood alcohol level of 0.148—nearly twice Florida’s legal limit of 0.08—and also had alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax, in her system.
WTVJ reported that Vega and Pintor’s children are married, meaning the two women shared grandchildren. Vega’s attorney, Hilton Napoleon, released a statement saying, “Ms. Vega and the victim were best friends who also shared grandchildren together. This incident caused a devastating loss to the family. The family asks for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult moment and asks that you respect their privacy.”
Vega has been charged with vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter. Jail records show she is not currently being held in a county facility. Court documents state her bond is set at $50,000 and that if released, she must remain on house arrest, wear an electronic monitor, and is prohibited from driving. Her next court date is a trial hearing scheduled for December 29.
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