Nebraska Panhandle News

U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts expressed gratitude to former President Donald Trump for the extradition of Eswin Mejia, who was responsible for the death of Sarah Root. Mejia was returned from Honduras to face justice in the United States.

Senator Ricketts stated, "Nine years ago, just hours after graduating college, Sarah Root had her life taken by an illegal alien drunk driver. For nine years, her killer evaded justice – until now." He further commented on the role of Trump in this development: "Thanks to President Trump, this criminal illegal alien will be held accountable for the tragedy he caused. Sarah’s family will get the justice they deserve. This is leadership in action."

The incident occurred in 2016 when Mejia caused a fatal car crash in Omaha while driving under the influence with a blood alcohol level three times above the legal limit. At that time, Root had recently graduated from Bellevue University at age 21. A loophole in federal law allowed Mejia to post bail and flee.

In January, Trump signed into law the Laken Riley Act, which includes Sarah’s Law—a measure requiring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain illegal aliens charged with killing or seriously injuring others. This legislation aims to prevent similar situations where offenders evade accountability.