Brianna Ibarra: Girl who tried to jump out of stolen car was dragged to death after getting stuck in seatbelt
WICHITA, KANSAS: A teenager died a very tragic death after trying to escape from a stolen SUV. Brianna Ibarra, 13, became entangled in a seat belt and was dragged for miles through an open car door, which resulted in her death. The 13-year-old was reportedly sitting inside the back seat of the parked Ford Escape, which was left running, outside of a restaurant while her family went in to grab food shortly before Saturday noon, February 6.
PEOPLE reported that the accused, Kevin Palmer, allegedly took advantage of the opportunity and jumped into the driver's seat of the car and drove it away while the girl was inside. As the vehicle was speeding away, Ibarra tried to exit it several times but was caught in the seatbelt and then dragged outside of the SUV. "Palmer continued to flee for several miles," police said in a press release. Police were informed about the incident after a witness called 911. The witness reportedly followed the car. As per police, the accused eventually stopped and escaped on foot, but was caught by the officers. "This is one of the saddest cases I have been associated with in my over 28 years of law enforcement," police Chief Gordon Ramsay said.
READ MORE
Jaheim Pugh: Video of non-binary teen bleeding to death after he was shot at a party was posted online, claims report
A report by KAKE TV stated that Ibarra’s parents described her as “full of life,” someone who "always made everybody laugh, loved her family (and) was always up for any adventure." They also added that the "loss of (our) daughter was a tragedy that no family should have to go through." The victim’s older sister Marissa said Ibarra "loved to create," was "easy and fun to be around. She was bright, carefree, straightforward, family oriented, strong, would do anything for (her) family, affectionate."
A GoFundMe page was also started by a friend of the affected family. A message written over there read, “Brianna's family lost her due to a tragic and very unexpected incident last Saturday afternoon in Wichita, Kansas. KAKE News aired the story Monday, Feb 8, 2021, during the evening news. We are fundraising to assist with various expenses associated with the funeral, burial, and any other expenses needed until this family can get back on their feet and back to work. If you can spare even a few dollars, please take a second and make a donation to help this family.”
Later an update on that page stated, “We have had an overwhelming amount of support from family, friends, and the local community since this fundraiser for Brianna Ibarra aired on the KAKE news channel. The family would like to send a HUGE THANK YOU to all the donors thus far and the donations that continue to come in and for all the kind messages that have been received.”
Meanwhile, it has been said that Palmer is not new to the crime world as he has numerous convictions for felony crimes. Currently, he has been held at the Sedgwick County jail on a number of charges, which include first-degree murder, theft, and driving with a suspended or revoked license. A bond of $500,000 has been fixed on the murder charge.