ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A man who was attempting to kill his ex-girlfriend and ended up killing an uninvolved woman instead had his charges upgraded on Wednesday, police said.
St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway said during a press conference that Kyle Hill, who was initially charged with DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide, is now facing charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and more, for a crash on Sunday night that left a woman dead and her boyfriend severely injured.
Police said on March 9, around 8 p.m., Hill was arguing with his ex-girlfriend when she left in a friend's vehicle. Chief Holloway said Hill was angry that she left, so he drove his Nissan SUV to find her.
As he was driving south on 34th Street near 30th Avenue North, police said he saw a Honda and assumed it was his ex-girlfriend. He then called his ex-girlfriend and began to aggressively chase the Honda for 12 blocks.
While he was chasing her, police said Hill called his ex to threaten her, saying, "I'm going to kill you, your friend and myself."
Inside the Honda that Hill was chasing were Norbelis Figueredo-Campos, 35, and Arislenni Blanco-Medina, 28, who were on their way to Walmart. They attempted to get away from Hill, but police said he continued to chase them, and eventually forced them off the road near 17th Avenue North.
The Honda then went onto the sidewalk and struck a concrete pole, which fell and crushed the car. Blanco-Medina was killed and Figueredo-Campos was seriously injured.
According to police, Hill then lost control of his SUV and hit a tree in the median. His blood alcohol was found to be more than twice the legal limit.
During the press conference on Wednesday, the victims' loved ones spoke out, saying the couple "always had ambitions and goals."
"His dream was to bring his girlfriend, his partner, here with him so she can provide a better family for her daughter and her parents in Cuba," they said. "They were very ambitious when they got here."
Hill was booked into the Pinellas County Jail.
While current owner Stu Sternberg hasn't said he's ready to sell the Tampa Bay Rays, two groups have emerged as potential buyers.
