Nevada Mom Says Daughter’s Phone Led Her to Coroner as Hit-and-Run Driver Is Deported Before Facing Justice
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — A grieving Nevada mother says she learned of her daughter’s death in the most devastating way imaginable — by checking her phone’s location data, which led her to the county coroner’s office — as prosecutors now say the man accused of killing her daughter escaped accountability after being deported out of the country.
“I totally broke down,” said Cheri Brown, the mother of 33-year-old Amber Brown, during an interview with local media. “It showed her at the coroner’s office.”
Victim Struck in Crosswalk, Police Say
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Amber Brown was lawfully crossing Rancho Drive at Decatur Boulevard in a marked crosswalk on the night of June 19, 2025, when a vehicle ran a red light and struck her.
Police identified the driver as Angel Franco Merida, 37, who investigators say fled the scene, leaving Brown fatally injured in the roadway.
Hours passed before Brown’s family learned what had happened.
“When she didn’t come home, I started panicking,” Cheri Brown said.
Driver Arrested, Posted Bond — Then Taken by ICE
Franco Merida was later arrested and charged with reckless driving resulting in death, a felony offense under Nevada law. He appeared in Las Vegas Justice Court and was granted $50,000 bond, which he posted two days later.
Shortly after his release from jail, however, Franco Merida was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to court testimony.
At a June 24 court hearing — just five days after his arrest — Franco Merida’s attorney told a judge that his client had been detained by federal immigration authorities.
Deportation Derails Criminal Case, Prosecutors Say
Court records show a U.S. immigration judge later granted Franco Merida voluntary departure in July 2025. When he failed to appear for a subsequent hearing, a warrant was issued for his arrest.
But prosecutors say they were powerless to act.
By that point, Franco Merida had already been deported to Guatemala, effectively removing him from the reach of Nevada courts.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said his office was never notified before the deportation occurred.
“They snatched him and took him right under our noses before we even knew it,” Wolfson said. “As far as I’m concerned, the family was cheated. They were cheated in the state court system where he’s being prosecuted.”
Case Closed Without Trial, Family Outraged
KLAS-TV reports that had Franco Merida remained in Nevada, he could have faced one to six years in prison if convicted in Amber Brown’s death.
Instead, the criminal case was effectively closed in September 2025, after a judge exonerated his bond due to his unavailability.
Cheri Brown said the outcome feels like a complete failure of justice.
“I think it’s horrible,” she said. “They should bring him back. He should serve justice. He killed my daughter. Just because he is from another country — it shouldn’t be a free ticket to just flee the country.”
ICE Declines to Comment
As of this week, ICE has not responded to requests for comment regarding why state prosecutors were not informed prior to Franco Merida’s removal from the United States.
Amber Brown’s family continues to call for accountability and changes to prevent similar cases from slipping through the cracks between state and federal systems.
Should federal immigration actions pause when a suspect is facing serious criminal charges? Share your thoughts and join the conversation at WaldronNews.