MIRAMAR, Fla. — A Texas woman accused in a DUI manslaughter case stemming from a crash more than a decade ago — one that investigators say involved speeding and a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit — was recently arrested at Miami International Airport.
Jail records show Nazia Badal, 44, of Arlington, Texas, was taken into custody around 9:20 p.m. on Thursday by U.S. Marshals and the Miramar Police Department.
Authorities said she had an active Broward County warrant on two counts of DUI manslaughter and is being held without bond.
The charges stem from a June 16, 2013, crash near the 2300 block of Red Road in Miramar that killed a man identified by loved ones as Jose Francisco Zamora.
An arrest report states that Badal, who worked as a waitress at Tootsie’s Cabaret at the time of the crash, was driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.15% — nearly twice the legal limit — and about 15 mph over the speed limit at the time of the crash, which occurred near the intersection of Red Road and Renaissance Boulevard.
“At the time of the crash, the defendant had an unlawful blood alcohol concentration that impaired her normal faculties and ability to safely operate a motor vehicle,” an officer wrote in her 2013 arrest report.
Investigators said the crash resulted in “multiple blunt force injuries” to Zamora, causing his death.
The report states that a witness told police that Badal had been driving erratically before slamming into Zamora’s vehicle in what was described as an “explosion.”
The witness said Badal’s vehicle came to a stop with severe damage, while Zamora’s car was reduced to “mangled metal,” leaving him trapped inside, according to the report.
Investigators said Badal had a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage,” which became more pronounced when she spoke, and that her eyes appeared “glassy and red.”
According to the report, when authorities told Badal a criminal investigation was underway, she responded, “for what, nobody died,” and “who’s going to pay for my car?”
Police also wrote that Badal “seemed to be oblivious to the seriousness of the crash and showed absolutely no concern for the other driver, only for her vehicle.”
A toxicology report revealed that Zamora had no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the crash.
The victim’s niece told Local 10 News that the case had largely gone unpublicized since the fatal crash. A sign placed at the location where Zamora was killed memorializes his life.
The pain is still fresh for Nancy Olivera, Zamora’s other niece, who told Local 10 he was like a father to her.
“He was always thinking about everybody else — always happiness,” she said. “He walked me down the aisle. He was everything to us, so we still miss him a lot. It’s like it was yesterday.”
Family members told Local 10 that Zamora had just dropped off his sister when he was fatally struck.
Jail records show Badal was initially arrested in 2014 and later released on bond. Authorities said she failed to appear in court in 2017 and was later found in the United Kingdom, leading to an outstanding warrant for her arrest.
Records show Badal, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, has been placed on an immigration hold and is being held without bond at the Paul Rein Detention Facility.
Badal appeared in court Tuesday wearing a light blue jail jumpsuit and shackles — an image Zamora’s family said they never expected to see. They now say they are looking forward to facing her in court.
“I want her to know how much he was loved, how much he was missed, the damage that she has done, because he was just a blessing,” said Olivera.
The family will have that opportunity soon. Badal’s hearing was postponed to the end of the month. She remains charged with DUI manslaughter.
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