Emergency response vehicle navigating through Orlando streets.
Orlando has settled for $300,000 in a case involving the death of 28-year-old Delmy Alvarez during a police chase. The lawsuit, brought by Gina Mustacchio, highlights concerns about police pursuit policies and the emotional toll of the tragedy. Officer Esequiel Colon has been suspended for violating chase protocols, yet no criminal charges were filed against him. Mustacchio, who survived the crash, seeks accountability as the community reflects on the implications of police chases on public safety.
Orlando has reached a $300,000 legal settlement regarding the death of a 28-year-old woman, Delmy Alvarez, who was killed in a high-speed police chase in February 2023. This amount is the maximum permitted under Florida law for personal injury claims against governmental entities.
The settlement stems from a lawsuit filed by Gina Mustacchio, who survived the crash but lost her partner, Alvarez. Mustacchio has expressed a desire for full accountability and justice in relation to the incident. Currently, she has been struggling with the aftereffects of the crash, spending 18 days in the hospital and losing a kidney due to her injuries. Despite the settlement, there has been no public acceptance of responsibility or apology from any city official to Alvarez’s family, which includes Mustacchio and Alvarez’s mother, Marta Lopez.
Investigations into the crash revealed that Officer Esequiel Colon violated Orlando Police Department pursuit policies during the chase. Enforcement of such policies requires reasonable suspicion of a forcible felony, with traffic violations typically not meeting this standard. Colon faced a week-long suspension, covered by paid vacation hours, but was not subjected to any criminal charges.
A key development in the aftermath of the fatal incident came when a warrant was issued for Jaicarious Grace, the individual who collided with Mustacchio and Alvarez’s vehicle. This warrant was issued 18 months after the crash, following a report that highlighted the case in September 2024. Grace was arrested in late February 2025, facing charges of vehicular homicide and four related felonies, which include evidence of prior criminal behavior for evading police and drug-related offenses. Following the crash, Grace tested positive for drug use.
The settlement funds are allocated such that half will go into trusts for Alvarez’s children, while the other half will be awarded to Mustacchio. The city has stated that the settlement payment does not indicate an admission of liability regarding the events leading to the crash.
The tragic event has sparked community discussions about police chase policies, especially considering other recent incidents involving fatalities during pursuits in Orlando. Mustacchio believes both Grace and the police should be held accountable for their parts in this incident. She has also described the deep emotional toll of losing Alvarez, stating that the pain from the loss is more intense than her physical injuries incurred during the crash.
Alvarez and Mustacchio had met in 2021 at an LGBTQ club, forming a close partnership that ended tragically due to the crash. While the community processes this heartbreaking loss, attention remains focused on potential reform of police pursuit policies, which often have public safety implications.
This incident remains under scrutiny as residents and advocacy groups call for accountability and review of police practices in high-speed chases, aiming to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
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