A Lawrenceville woman has been charged in a vehicle accident that claimed the life of her 23-month old granddaughter Tuesday afternoon.
The toddler, identified as Valeria Leiba, was hit by a vehicle in front of her home at 1005 Memory Lane around 4:00 p.m., according to Gwinnett County Police. Paramedics took her to Gwinnett Medical Center.
When officers arrived, the driver and the vehicle involved were not there, according to police.
"Based on statements in the original 911 call, the investigators believed they had identified the driver in this pedestrian fatality as the child's grandmother, Gilma J. Ordonez-Guevara," Corporal Michelle Pihera said in a Wednesday news release.
Ordonez-Guevara, who lives at 1291 Dowry Drive in the same neighborhood, initially denied being involved in the accident, according to police. In a second interview, authorities said they learned Ordonez-Guevara had hit the toddler as she backed out of the Memory Lane Driveway.
"Gilma carried the child inside the home and then got back inside her vehicle and traveled to her house. She left her vehicle in her driveway and walked back to the scene," Pihera wrote.
Ordonez-Guevara was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail on charges of vehicular homicide, hit and run, obstruction of a law enforcement officer and no license. She also has an immigration hold, according to the Georgia News Network.
"There are not enough words to help bring solace to the victim's family during such a tragic loss," Pihera said. "We want the family to know that many people in Gwinnett and the surrounding communities are thinking of them during this difficult time."
After Leiba was taken to the hospital, her immediate family joined her there, according to police. She died of her injuries.
