Woman accused of hitting, killing beloved Bradenton 'Peace walker' to stand trial
No plea deal for woman accused in hit-and-run case
FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon heard from both sides as they prepare for jury selection next week nearly five years after a deadly hit-and-run.
BRADENTON, Fla. - A woman charged in a deadly Manatee County hit-and-run appeared stunned as a judge ruled she will stand trial nearly five years after the crash that killed an 82-year-old man.
Teresa Zeppi was placed in handcuffs on Monday for hitting and killing Joey Dralus while he was on a walk in the neighborhood.
Teresa Zeppi being handcuffed in a Manatee County courtroom as a judge rejected her plea deal.
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Manatee County Judge Frederick Mercurio had strong words for Assistant State Attorney Jose Herrero as he Zeppi's plea deal.
"I am going to revoke your bond in this case. You’ll now be held with no bond until your case is resolved," said Mercurio. "I believe the state has fallen flat on their faces in presenting this case to the court and the justice system. Not only for you, but for everyone involved."
The backstory:
Prosecutors say Zeppi hit Dralus with her Lincoln Navigator in 2020, then drove away after getting out to check for damage to the vehicle. Dralus later died from his injuries.
Dralus was known to many around North West Bradenton as the "Peace Walker," with his family saying he was known for greeting each passerby with a smile and a peace sign during his daily walks.
Pictured: Joseph Dralus, Sr. (Courtesy: Joseph Dralus, Jr.)
After a lengthy investigation, the Florida Highway Patrol said Zeppi, who is now 60, was behind the wheel and later stopped to wipe evidence from her front bumper.
"As if she has the ability, somebody who has worked with elderly people and with children, (she) has an adoption agency, for God’s sake," said her defense attorney, Brett McIntosh. "And she just hits somebody and drives off, not knowingly? No way."
Footage of the 2020 hit-and-run that killed Joseph Dralus, Sr.
Dig deeper:
Zeppi was eventually arrested in 2022 on charges of leaving the scene of a crash with death and tampering with evidence. She bonded out of jail the same day.
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Zeppi was scheduled to get a two-year house arrest plea deal from the State Attorney’s Office, but that offer was revoked on Friday.
What they're saying:
McIntosh said Zeppi is ready to go to trial.
"She’s 60 years old. She doesn’t drive around, striking men, elderly men, that are walking down the road and driving off and parking the car in front of her house," McIntosh said.
Zeppi will be held without bond.
Pictured: Teresa Zeppi.
In June 2023, Zeppi was involved in another accident, and her license was revoked.
For Dralus' son, Joseph Dralus Jr., it’s the first time he’s felt a chance at justice.
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"I was shocked and confused when I got the call saying she won’t serve any jail time," Dralus, Jr., told FOX 13 last week. "When I heard and understood that a plea agreement had been made without consultation or heads up … my father died from this. However it happened, wherever we’re at right now, somebody died," Dralus Jr. said.
Joseph Dralus, Sr with a family member.
"Are you kidding me? The punishment, in my opinion, isn’t even close to fitting this crime," Dralus Jr. said. "I don’t know that she has ever sat overnight in jail through this whole process."
Dralus Jr told FOX 13 last week that he was relying on the justice system to provide fairness to his father.
"We are going to continue to have faith in the system because that’s our only option. We believe that we will get the end result that’s deserved on this," Dralus Jr. said. "Whatever the outcome of this, she knows. You’ll have to go to sleep with this at night, whether in a jail cell or your own bed. There’s no escape from that," Dralus Jr said.
What's next:
Jury selection will begin Monday morning, and the trial will start as soon as a jury is seated.
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The Source: Information for this story came from a court appearance in Manatee County on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, and reporting done by FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon.
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