Milwaukee fatal crash, 2 women dead at 24th and Howard
MILWAUKEE - Two women were killed in a Milwaukee crash on Thursday night, Feb. 29 – and police arrested a third woman who survived.
The impact near 24th and Howard was so intense, bark was stripped off a tree. As crews picked up debris the next morning, family members of 24-year-olds Maya Perez and Gabby Pantajo were left in tears.
"Right now, I’m just mad at the world. Maya didn’t deserve this," said Jaylani Mayorga, Perez's cousin.
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"She had a beautiful smile that will always live with us," said Luz Moreno, Pantoja's cousin.
Friends told FOX6 News that Perez and Pantajo were out celebrating Pantajo's birthday on Thursday night. Police said the group's Toyota Camry was speeding westbound on Howard Avenue when the driver lost control and hit a tree and a streetlight.
Gabby Pantajo; Maya Perez
"My entire floor shook. All the hangings on my wall, TV – everything in the house shook," said Pierce Fuypel, who lives nearby. "We saw the car completely destroyed. That alone was rough to watch."
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office said Pantoja was the driver, and emergency crews worked for 20 minutes trying to save her life. One of the 24-year-olds was ejected from the car and found roughly 20 feet away.
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"She just kept saying, ‘I wasn’t driving – I want to talk to my mom,'" Fuypel said of a third woman who ran from the scene.
Police later found that 24-year-old woman and arrested her because of an outstanding warrant. Police and witnesses said the 24-year-old ran from the scene as her two friends died in the wreck.
Family members said both Perez and Pantoja each had young children. The thought of those kids growing up without their mothers was unbearable for loved ones.
Milwaukee fatal crash, 24th and Howard
"All I ask for is to protect her baby, her son," said Mayorga.
The medical examiner's office said it is still trying to locate Perez's family. Police have not named the 24-year-old woman who ran from the crash and was arrested.
Anyone with information is asked to call MPD at 414-935-7360; to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or use the P3 tips app.