NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A Miami teen, who was the victim of a hit-and-run, is making a plea to the public in hopes of finding the driver responsible.
On April 1 around 9:30 p.m., 16-year-old Catherine Muguia was walking to a store near Northwest 27th Avenue and 23rd Street when, police said, a car slammed into her and took off, leaving her for dead.
She was hospitalized for a month, underwent surgery on her leg, received multiple stitches on face, and, until this day, is still in a wheelchair. “It’s nothing that I would ever imagine happening to me,” Muguia said.
Muguia’s mother Carmen Muguia told 7News she thought she was going to lose her daughter that day. “We’re not talking about a simple, five mile per hour crash here,” said Traffic Homicide Detective George Wilhelm. “No, they had some speed to them to be able to break bones.”
She was with her little sister and a friend when the nearly fatal hit-and-run happened. Unfortunately, the incident occurred so suddenly that none of them clearly saw the driver who was responsible.
“Everything’s not going to be the same anymore,” said Muguia.
The thing that really breaks her heart is the thought of her younger sister, who had to see her nearly-lifeless body on the ground. “For my sister to see my like that — it was nothing good. And then for her to feel like that, it’s not good,” Muguia said. “‘Cause I’ve always been there with my mom through everything, and with my brothers and sisters and everything. I’ve never been in a wheelchair, I’ve never been in a walker, I’ve never been in a hospital and I’ve never had a broken bone.”
Now, Muguia and her family just want justice to be served so they can have some peace of mind. “I want somebody to come forward and just say what they saw, say if they know the person. If they’ve seen them, if they were driving by, anything,” she said.
Police believe the driver was in an SUV.
If you have any information on this crime, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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