A St. Petersburg man is accused of killing a woman and injuring her boyfriend after he mistook their car for his ex's and intentionally crashed into them. Kyle Hill faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, stemming from the incident on Sunday, when police say he chased a Honda Accord thinking his ex-girlfriend was inside, according to details released by WTSP.
Hill, 33, had earlier argued with his ex-girlfriend and in a drunken fury, pursued what he believed was her getaway car. He had called his ex-girlfriend, as reported by WTSP, and threatened, "I got you. I'm going to kill you, your friend and myself." Tragically, the vehicle he struck was occupied by a an unrelated couple, Arislenni Blanco-Medina and her boyfriend, Norbelis Figueredo-Campos, who were en route to Walmart.
The resulting crash proved fatal for Blanco-Medina, 28, who died after their car collided with a concrete pole, which then collapsed on the vehicle. This information was detailed in a description of the events by The Miami Herald. Blanco-Medina's boyfriend, Figueredo-Campos, sustained critical injuries in the crash.
Blanco-Medina, a recent immigrant from Cuba, was on the phone with her father and daughter when the accident occurred, a harrowing account recounted by the St. Petersburg Police Department and cited by WTSP. Hill, whose blood alcohol was double the legal limit, was subsequently arrested and his charges were elevated to first-degree murder, according to information obtained by FOX 13 News.
Police Chief Anthony Holloway described the use of Hill's car in this lethal act as a "weapon" and labeled the killing "senseless." Hill remains booked in the Pinellas County Jail, awaiting legal proceedings stemming from the deeply unfortunate series of events that has left one family mourning and a community grappling with the consequences of a reckless and mistaken pursuit. More details on Hill's booking can be found through the WTSP coverage of the police press conference.
