Family pushes for answers after 17-year-old dies in Liberty

LIBERTY, North Carolina — Daniela Mendiola died Tuesday, after state troopers said a car hit her in Liberty.

Her family and nearby neighbors said she was just waiting for a ride after visiting her boyfriend.

WFMY News 2’s Nixon Norman spoke with both Mendiola’s family and the mother of Mendiola’s boyfriend. 

They said they are frustrated the driver who hit their loved one is not facing any charges.

WFMY News 2 took their concerns to state troopers who say it’s because the driver came back to the scene.

Mendiola just turned 17, only days before her life was taken from her along Oak Grove Church Road in Liberty.

“Like the love she gave to the world, we just want the same love and passion to go towards helping her, but it just feels like nobody is helping her,” Mendiola’s brother, Adolfo Trejo said. 

Trejo, as well as their entire family, is at a loss. Not only are they left with out their loved one, they are left searching for answers. 

So is the mother of Mendiola’s boyfriend, Heather Eastwood, who said Mendiola was leaving her home and waiting in her driveway, when she was hit.

“Oh, I’m mad. We all are. Everybody. We’re like a family out here. Everybody’s family. We are all devastated. Her family, our family, my son…” Eastwood said.

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According to state highway patrol, 17-year-old Mendiola was walking in the middle of the road when 38-year-old Joshua Brown hit her.

“It could’ve been anybody’s child standing out there, waiting on a ride, waiting on a friend to come pick them up,” nearby neighbor, Mark Abram said. 

Troopers said Brown was unable to avoid Mendiola and hit her with his car. 

Abram, Eastwood, and Mendiola’s family said there are a lot of things that just don’t add up. They do not see a reason as to why Mendiola would have been in the middle of the road.

“Why would she be crossing the street to go into these dark woods alone at 9:20 at night?” Eastwood shows with her hands, as she points across the end of her driveway, into the woods, across the street from her home.

Troopers said after Brown hit Mendiola, he left the scene and drove back. 

Eastwood said she and her family were at the scene after the crash and noticed Brown in a different car. 

WFMY News 2 reached out to highway patrol about that claim, we were able to confirm he left the scene and came back but not in a different car. 

“Our frustration is, ‘why did it take that long for him to come back?'” Trejo said. 

Although Mendiola’s family is feeling stuck, they know they have to keep her name alive in order to bring her justice and hopefully, some closure for themselves.

“My baby, she’s not coming back but this case is not gonna close for me, I just gotta keep going,” Mendiola’s father said.

Mendiola’s family said she will be laid to rest this weekend.

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