The U.S. Air Force Academy released a moving statement honoring Moore’s life and service:
“We lost an exemplary teammate this weekend – Cadet Candidate Ava Moore, whose passion for leadership and service left an impact on everyone she met… Her drive to excel was on display as she sought out leadership positions to improve herself and her team.”
Lieutenant General Tony Bauernfeind, the Academy Superintendent, emphasized how deeply Moore’s loss has impacted the Air Force community. Support teams have been mobilized to help her fellow cadets, teammates, and family cope with this unimaginable loss.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton didn’t mince words when addressing the tragedy:
The criminal illegal alien trash who murdered an innocent American woman yesterday in Grapevine, Texas. This illegal alien Venezuelan struck the young American woman (who was on a kayak) with a jet ski and fled the scene. Here she is being taken in to hiding by other Venezuelans.… pic.twitter.com/3zAccDbk1I
— Anthony Aguero Live 🇺🇸 (@AnthonyAguero_) May 27, 2025
— Texas Game Wardens (@TexasGameWarden) May 27, 2025
“Ava Moore’s senseless death was caused by an illegal alien who should have never been in our country in the first place. My heart breaks for Ava’s family and friends, and my prayers are with them as they face this tragedy.”
Paxton’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit, working alongside local and federal law enforcement agencies, moved swiftly to apprehend Gonzalez Gonzalez and Perozo. They were taken into custody Tuesday.
Officials revealed that the Grapevine Fire Department responded to the emergency just after 5:20 p.m. Sunday. When first responders arrived, they found Moore with severe trauma. She was transported to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Grapevine, where she was pronounced dead.
Cellphone footage that has since gone viral shows Gonzalez fleeing the lake in a car, helped by other Venezuelans who appeared to shield her from bystanders attempting to intervene.
Authorities have stated that one woman remained at the scene following the jet ski collision. Her identity has not yet been released. Meanwhile, witnesses reported that Gonzalez had been recklessly riding along the shore, endangering others, before she ultimately drove the jet ski “across the top of the kayak” Moore was in.
According to the arrest warrant, Gonzalez returned briefly to the site of the crash before speeding off again. Bystanders attempted to detain the pair, but others reportedly helped them escape to a nearby parking lot where they fled by vehicle.
Fox News reporter Bill Melugin later posted the booking photos of the suspects, confirming the identities and the charges they now face:
“NEW: Mugshot released for the Venezuelan illegal alien charged in the fatal jet ski hit and run of 18-year-old US Air Force Cadet Candidate Ava Moore in Texas on Sunday… Both have now been arrested by TX authorities, and a press conference will be held tomorrow morning by Texas Game Wardens, Grapevine PD, & Homeland Security Investigations.”
NEW: Mugshot released for the Venezuelan illegal alien charged in the fatal jet ski hit and run of 18-year-old US Air Force Cadet Candidate Ava Moore in Texas on Sunday. Police say 21-year-old Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez struck Moore with her jet ski, then fled the… pic.twitter.com/gjlkJ5XXrz
This case has reignited national debate about border security and the devastating consequences of unchecked illegal immigration. A young woman who committed her life to defending this country is now dead—at the hands of someone who should have never been here.
As Americans prepare to honor our fallen heroes this Memorial Day, the tragic death of Ava Moore serves as a stark and painful reminder: we must do more to protect our citizens from those who break our laws and endanger innocent lives.
Ava Moore should have been looking forward to her first year at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Instead, her family is left grieving, and a nation is left demanding justice.
