CHARLOTTE, N.C. (THECOUNT) — — Mayra Castaneda, 32, has been charged in the death of an 8-year-old boy killed in a single-vehicle crash in Charlotte last week, and federal immigration authorities have placed a detainer on her.
Castaneda was denied bond and is being held on an immigration bond after court documents stated she “is a risk to the community based on the nature of the charge.” An ICE detainer was issued after biometric confirmation showed she lacked legal immigration status in the United States.
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According to jail records, Castaneda faces multiple charges, including felony death by vehicle, reckless driving to endanger, driving without a license, and speeding. She was initially booked into the Mecklenburg County Jail on a $1 million secured bond before immigration authorities intervened.
The crash occurred around 2:30 a.m. on Friday, July 3, along East Independence Boulevard near Charlottetowne Avenue. Police said Castaneda was driving westbound at a high rate of speed when she left the roadway and struck a tree. Officers found the vehicle heavily damaged and an unresponsive child in the back seat. The child, identified as 8-year-old Ilam Mateo Espinoza Castaneda, was pronounced dead at the scene. Castaneda suffered only minor injuries.
Investigators determined Castaneda was driving approximately 80 mph in a 50-mph zone. Police also said she was impaired by an unidentified substance at the time of the crash.
The collision forced the closure of a major section of I-277 inbound for several hours while crews cleared the scene and investigators worked the case.
Court documents show that after Castaneda was booked into jail, immigration authorities reviewed her status and issued a detainer. A judge later ordered her held without bond on immigration grounds, citing the seriousness of the charges and her risk to the community.
It remains unclear what relationship Castaneda had to the child, though they share the same last name. No further details about their connection have been released by authorities.
Castaneda remains in custody at the Mecklenburg County Jail as both local and federal authorities continue their investigations.
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