Heather Villalba was the former Miss Deaf Maryland 1997-99 and was top seven final pageant at Miss Deaf America in San Antonio, Texas in 1998.
Heather passed away early on Tuesday, July 30th at Prince George's County Hospital. She got into a fight with her boyfriend and her hand got caught in the door of the car. He then took off with her hand still caught on the car door. He drove for several hundred feet and then her body was flung from the car and she hit her head on the pavement. By the time she got to the hospital, she was already brain dead so she did not suffer that much.
Kenneth Devan Nelson, 25, of Landover was arrested by Metro police Monday at the Cheverly station. The victim, Heather Michelle Villalba, 24, of Bowie died Tuesday at Prince George's Hospital Center as a result of injuries from the incident, police said.
Nelson and Villalba were acquaintances. After Nelson drove Villalba to the Cheverly Metro station, the two were involved in a dispute in the parking lot at about 11:24 a.m., police said.
During the dispute, Villalba stood outside the car and reached across the steering wheel to prevent Nelson from driving away. Nelson allegedly drove several yards before Villalba fell and suffered severe head trauma.
"It's up to the State's Attorney's office to modify the charges so that they 're more in line with the crime that was committed," said Lisa Farbstein, a spokeswoman for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
Heather passed away early on Tuesday, July 30th at Prince George's County Hospital. She got into a fight with her boyfriend and her hand got caught in the door of the car. He then took off with her hand still caught on the car door. He drove for several hundred feet and then her body was flung from the car and she hit her head on the pavement. By the time she got to the hospital, she was already brain dead so she did not suffer that much.
- Thanks to Angel Spangler, California
Former Miss Deaf Maryland
Dies During Dispute
Charges against a Landover man charged with assault at a Metro station Monday will likely be modified due to the victim's death, a Metro spokeswoman said.Dies During Dispute
Kenneth Devan Nelson, 25, of Landover was arrested by Metro police Monday at the Cheverly station. The victim, Heather Michelle Villalba, 24, of Bowie died Tuesday at Prince George's Hospital Center as a result of injuries from the incident, police said.
Nelson and Villalba were acquaintances. After Nelson drove Villalba to the Cheverly Metro station, the two were involved in a dispute in the parking lot at about 11:24 a.m., police said.
During the dispute, Villalba stood outside the car and reached across the steering wheel to prevent Nelson from driving away. Nelson allegedly drove several yards before Villalba fell and suffered severe head trauma.
"It's up to the State's Attorney's office to modify the charges so that they 're more in line with the crime that was committed," said Lisa Farbstein, a spokeswoman for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
- From The Gazette, Maryland