Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kenyatta Weston Jr. was indicted by a grand jury on charges of manslaughter, driving under the influence, criminal possession of a weapon and other charges for a February 8, 2025, crash on the Belt Parkway that resulted in the death of 27-year-old Elizabeth Vanessa Perla-Hernandez. The defendant is accused of driving at a high rate of speed after consuming alcohol at a Brooklyn bar the night of the collision.

DA Katz said: “As alleged, the defendant consumed alcohol before making the selfish decision to get behind the wheel of a vehicle and drive at 115 miles per hour along the Belt Parkway, resulting in a fatal crash that took the life of his passenger. A firearm was also recovered from the vehicle at the scene of the crime. This was a series of deliberate, dangerous choices that ended in tragedy for the 27-year-old victim and her loved ones. We will aggressively prosecute those who choose to ignore the rules of the road, which are designed to keep us all safe.”

Weston, 31, of Amityville, Long Island, was arraigned yesterday on a 13-count indictment charging him with manslaughter in the second degree, assault in the second degree, vehicular manslaughter in the second degree, three counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, two-counts of driving while under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving, operating a vehicle at unreasonable speed and two counts of driving in excess of the maximum speed limit.

Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Hartofilis remanded the defendant and ordered him to return to court on April 23.  If convicted, the defendant faces up to 22 years in prison.

DA Katz said that, according to the indictment and investigation, on February 8, 2025, the victim drove a white Toyota Camry registered in her name with the defendant in the passenger seat from Long Island to Brooklyn. At approximately 1 a.m., they arrived at a bar on Avenue U where they consumed alcohol.

They both left the lounge at approximately 3:30 a.m. and Weston allegedly drove the car away from the location with the victim in the passenger seat. Approximately 15 minutes later, the defendant was driving at a speed of 115 mph in a 45-mph zone along the Belt Parkway near the Sunrise Highway overpass in Rosedale when he crashed into the cushion barrels located on a grassy shoulder.

Neither the defendant nor the victim were wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision. The victim was found unresponsive at the scene and pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Weston sustained injuries to his lower spine and a broken pelvis. He has since recovered.

A blood test determined that the defendant’s blood alcohol content approximately one hour after the crash was .16, which is over the legal limit of .08.

A search of the vehicle at the scene resulted in the recovery of a Springfield Armory 9 mm pistol containing a large capacity magazine from the front driver side footwell. A fingerprint on the firearm’s magazine matched the defendant.

Weston was arrested by members of the NYPD Warrant Squad yesterday morning.

The investigation was conducted by the New York City Police Department’s Collision Investigation Squad in close partnership with the District Attorney’s Vehicular Homicide Unit.

Assistant District Attorneys Vivian Gonzalez and Matthew Hauszpigel of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau are prosecuting the case, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Jonathan Selkowe, Unit Chief of the Vehicular Homicide Unit and Deputy Bureau Chief of the Homicide Bureau, and John Kosinski, Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Shawn Clark.