A Honduran illegal immigrant who fled the United States after killing an Iowa woman in 2016 while driving drunk in Nebraska has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison.
Eswin Mejia was sentenced to 20 to 22 years in prison on Monday after being convicted on charges of motor vehicle homicide and flight to avoid arrest, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extradition of Sarah’s killer from Honduras to the United States to face justice once and for all.
It came after Honduras reached an agreement with the United States to continue a century-old extradition treaty. It was the first time Honduras had ever extradited someone to the U.S. for homicide.
"The criminal illegal alien who stole Sarah Root’s life was just convicted to 21 years. Nothing will bring her back, but I am glad to see some justice for Sarah’s family," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said.
"I want to thank Homeland Security Investigations and our interagency law enforcement partners for extraditing Sarah’s killer and bringing him back to the U.S.," Noem continued. "I also want to thank Senator Joni Ernst for her advocacy on behalf of Sarah and her family. Sarah should still be here today, and this illegal alien should have never been in our country in the first place. The Trump administration will always put the safety of Americans first."
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Sarah’s Law was introduced in the United States Congress. It was eventually added as an amendment to the Laken Riley Act.
"Today, an illegal immigrant who murdered young Iowan Sarah Root faced justice," Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, ICE officials said they "encountered Mr. Mejia just once," but they did not file a detainer.
Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.