Driver suspected of causing deadly crash 6 years ago may have left country, family pleads for answers

LARGO, Fla. - It's now been 6 years since a grandmother and granddaughter were killed in a street-racing crash in Largo. Still, the driver accused of causing it remains free. He's reportedly skipped town and now living in his home country of Brazil.

Danielle DeSocio says Luciano Gomes continues to cause her family great pain after deputies say he crashed into her mother and her niece. She says they can't even begin to heal from the loss until they know he's been brought to justice.

DeSocio's niece, 20-year-old Hailey Mullen, was studying to be a special education teacher. Her grandmother, Ann Marie DeSocio, was the family matriarch.

"My mother was a very strong woman. She did everything. She cooked. She cleaned. She took care of her grandkids," DeSocio said.

That's exactly what she was doing, picking up her granddaughter, Hailey, when deputies say 59-year-old Luciano Gomes slammed into their Lexus at the corner of 102nd Avenue North and 98th Street North in Largo. It happened in November 2018, just days before Thanksgiving.

According to deputies, witnesses reported seeing Gomes racing another car before the crash. His truck's data recorder showed he slammed into them going 89 mph in a 40 mph zone.

"He T-boned into Hailey, crushing her and my mom was resuscitated at the scene. She had hemorrhaging on both sides of her brain," DeSocio said.

Three years later, Ann Marie died as a result of complications from her injuries. In August 2020, Gomes was arrested and charged with street racing, vehicular homicide and reckless driving leading to serious injury. He bailed out of jail the same day.

The case dragged on for the next few years. Gomes was last seen in court in 2022 but failed to show up for his court date in September 2023, which is when a warrant was issued. He hasn't been seen nor heard from since. DeSocio says it's an unimaginable feeling knowing he's still walking free.

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"To feel so thrown away in a corner and ignored about what this man has done and how many lives he's destroyed. Can I say sheer hell?" DeSocio said.

Prosecutors told DeSocio they believe he returned to his home country of Brazil. She's hoping he'll eventually be brought to justice.

"I'm still looking for some lawyers for some help to fight the injustice, the negligence, and hopefully everybody is doing their jobs behind the scenes to nail this guy," DeSocio said.

Last October, DeSocio says she was told by a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office detective that he would meet with U.S. Marshals Office to discuss Gomes' potential extradition, but hasn't heard anything since.

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