In January 2009, Gabriel Delrisco was driving in Miami-Dade County early in the morning after a night out. At the same time, the Serrano family was driving to Dadeland Station to drop off Mirian so that she could travel to work. Mirian and Hector Serrano had their three children with them in the vehicle so they would not be left home alone when Hector dropped off Mirian at about 5:00 in the morning to make her early morning shift at the hospital.
After leaving Mirian at the station, Hector headed back toward home with the children in tow. The two girls, Esmeralda and Amber, slept in the back seat while their brother, Hector Jr., was in the passenger's seat next to his father. The vehicle was stopped at an intersection when Delrisco allegedly drove drunkenly into the back of the Serranos' car. He did not break and is estimated to have been traveling at about sixty miles per hour. Injured, Hector jumped from the vehicle, screaming that his two daughters were dead in the backseat. All three children were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Investigators determined that Delrisco had been driving under the influence (DUI/DWI) at the time.
Mirian and Hector Serrano are angered that Delrisco was driving at all. Delrisco had a valid drivers license when the accident occurred, a detail that is not lost on the couple. He had a lengthy driving record, overflowing with 26 prior driving problems, including one DUI in 2001. He also had numerous speeding tickets, all showing that he was driving in excess of 15 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. Delrisco had also previously caused a hit-and-run accident and been caught driving the wrong way down a one-way street. He had also been cited for failure to stop at stop signs and red lights. Despite all of the citations, Delrisco's license was valid. The extremely full Miami-Dade traffic court had allowed him numerous breaks, withholding adjudication some citations and dismissing others. Now, Delrisco is being held without bond as he awaits a trial scheduled for September. He faces three counts of DUI Manslaughter, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for each count.
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