Alleged Drunk Driver in US Illegally Charged in Fatal Hit-and-Run

A 22-year-old man, identified as an illegal immigrant from Honduras, has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of a 33-year-old mother of one in an Indianapolis hit-and-run incident. Authorities allege Edwin Alexander Sosa-Gonzalez was driving under the influence and at a high rate of speed when he struck Tamara Renee Thomas in a gas station parking lot on Saturday night.

According to charging documents, Sosa-Gonzalez was driving southbound on Tibbs Avenue when he allegedly struck another vehicle. The impact reportedly caused his Honda CRV to cross into oncoming traffic, swerve over curbs, and ultimately hit Thomas, who was attempting to evade the vehicle. Security footage from the gas station captured the incident.

Edwin Alexander Sosa-Gonzalez, 22, has been arrested for allegedly plowing his vehicle into Tamara Renee Thomas, 33, on Saturday night.

Following the collision, Sosa-Gonzalez allegedly fled the scene. Officers apprehended him shortly after, noting he had slurred speech, was stumbling, and smelled of alcohol. His blood alcohol level was recorded at .229, significantly exceeding Indiana's legal limit of .08. He faces charges including leaving the scene of a vehicle accident that caused death or catastrophic injury, operating while intoxicated causing death, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a detainer on Sosa-Gonzalez. Officials stated that he entered the U.S. illegally through Texas in July 2021 and was released into the country after being arrested by U.S. Border Patrol. He had a previous arrest in February 2024 for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and endangering a person, along with operating a vehicle without a license, following an accident that damaged three parked cars. Although transferred to ICE custody, he was released on bond. A final order of removal was issued to him on June 5, 2026.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin criticized the incident, stating, "This illegal alien, who had been released into our country by the Biden Administration, took the life of 33-year-old Tamara Renee Thomas because he was drunk behind the wheel." He added, "This disaster was completely avoidable, and were it not for the reckless open-border policies of the Biden Administration, this woman would still be alive."

The family of Tamara Renee Thomas has launched a fundraiser for her funeral expenses. Any remaining funds will be placed in a trust for her son, who was placed for adoption several years ago. The online fundraiser had raised $6,548 as of Tuesday night. A GoFundMe description describes Thomas as "a regular person who loved, laughed, struggled and lived life like the rest of us." Her father told the Indy Star that his daughter had a difficult life, including her father's incarceration for selling LSD and her own years-long struggle with substance abuse. He noted that she had recently begun seeking sobriety.

Thomas is being held at the Adult Detention Center in Marion County.