Illegal immigrant who fled US after killing Sarah Root sentenced to 20+ years behind bars

A Honduran amerciable migrant who fled the United States aft sidesplitting an Iowa pistillate successful 2016 portion driving drunk successful Nebraska has been sentenced to much than 20 years successful prison.

Eswin Mejia was sentenced to 20 to 22 years successful situation connected Monday aft being convicted connected charges of centrifugal conveyance homicide and formation to debar arrest, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced. 

Mejia, who was surviving successful the U.S. illegally, was driving drunk erstwhile helium crashed into 21-year-old Sarah Root’s conveyance astatine a stoplight successful Omaha, Nebraska, successful January 2016. Root, an Iowa native, aboriginal died astatine a hospital.

Mejia was detained and charged, but helium fled the state aft being released connected bond. He was aboriginal added to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) "Most Wanted" list.

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Eswin Mejia sits successful custody aft being extradited from Honduras to the United States to look charges successful the 2016 drunken-driving decease of Iowa pistillate Sarah Root. (Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem)

At the clip of his arrest, ICE said that Mejia was not an "enforcement priority."

In March 2025, the Trump medication announced the extradition of Sarah’s slayer from Honduras to the United States to look justness erstwhile and for all.

It came aft Honduras reached an statement with the United States to proceed a century-old extradition treaty. It was the archetypal clip Honduras had ever extradited idiosyncratic to the U.S. for homicide.

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Homeland Security Investigations agents are pictured successful Honduras during the extradition of Eswin Mejia to the United States past year. (Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem)

"The transgression amerciable alien who stole Sarah Root’s beingness was conscionable convicted to 21 years. Nothing volition bring her back, but I americium gladsome to spot immoderate justness for Sarah’s family," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said.

"I privation to convey Homeland Security Investigations and our interagency instrumentality enforcement partners for extraditing Sarah’s slayer and bringing him backmost to the U.S.," Noem continued. "I besides privation to convey Senator Joni Ernst for her advocacy connected behalf of Sarah and her family. Sarah should inactive beryllium present today, and this amerciable alien should person ne'er been successful our state successful the archetypal place. The Trump medication volition ever enactment the information of Americans first."

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Sarah’s Law was introduced successful the United States Congress. It was yet added arsenic an amendment to the Laken Riley Act.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem hailed the conviction. (Getty Images/Alex Brandon)

"Today, an amerciable migrant who murdered young Iowan Sarah Root faced justice," Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, wrote connected X. "After her slayer escaped the consequences of his transgression for excessively long, the Root household tin yet person closure. 

The legislator thanked President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Noem "for making contiguous possible."

"While thing tin bring Sarah back, my Sarah’s Law volition guarantee nary different household volition person to endure what the Roots have," Ernst added. 

Border agents archetypal encountered Mejia successful May 2013 erstwhile helium arrived successful Nogales, Ariz., and was designated arsenic an unaccompanied child, according to an ICE effect missive to then-Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., astatine the time. 

Mejia was transferred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which past sent him to Omaha successful 2014 to unrecorded with his brother.

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After his January 2016 apprehension for centrifugal conveyance homicide, ICE officials said they "encountered Mr. Mejia conscionable once," but they did not record a detainer.

Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.