Nearly eleven years after a fatal incident in Miramar, Nazia Badal, 44, of Arlington, Texas, was detained Thursday night at Miami International Airport on two Broward County DUI manslaughter charges related to the 2013 wreck that killed another driver. Jail records show she was brought into custody approximately 9:20 p.m. and is being held without bond at a Broward detention center until court hearings continue.
According to Local 10, the warrants stem from a June 16, 2013 incident near the 2300 block of Red Road in Miramar, which authorities say killed a man named by loved ones as Jose Francisco Zamora. According to a 2013 arrest report acquired by Local 10, Badal, who worked at Tootsie’s Cabaret at the time, had a blood-alcohol percentage of 0.15% and was driving approximately 15 mph over the speed limit. According to the report, she said, “For what, nobody died” and asked, “Who’s going to pay for my car?” after the crash.
According to jail and court records, Badal was arrested in 2014, freed on bond, and failed to appear in court in 2017, resulting in an outstanding warrant. Court records also show that she is set to appear for a hearing on Tuesday and has been placed on immigration hold.
According to Local 10, the initial arrest record characterizes the impact as a “explosion” that caused extensive damage to Badal’s vehicle and locked Zamora inside his automobile, which a witness described as “mangled metal.” Investigators stated that Zamora sustained multiple blunt-force injuries and that a toxicology examination revealed no narcotics or alcohol in his system.
Badal is now being jailed without bond at the Paul Rein Detention Facility in Broward County for court proceedings. The Broward Sheriff’s Office operates the Paul Rein facility, which is located at 2421 NW 16th Street in Pompano Beach.
DUI manslaughter in Florida is a crime that carries a mandatory minimum jail sentence of four years. Penalties escalate with higher blood alcohol levels and other aggravating conditions. The act also mandates reporting probation and other administrative repercussions following a conviction, as required by Florida statutes.
The impending hearing in Broward court is the next phase in a matter that has mostly been silent in the public record since previous trials. Prosecutors will determine whether to formally pursue the outstanding warrants when Badal appears in court.
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