Decade-long legal battle culminates in victory for grieving father, who lost daughter to tragic incident involving an unlawful immigrant in Texas.
Rawr! Here's a fresh spin on that burning issue:
With Claws Sharpened: Father fights for decades over daughter killed by undocumented immigrant: "Completely preventable tragedy"
Our badass reporter, Brooke Taylor, is on the ground shaking things up with a tale straight outta Dallas – a father's decade-long battle for justice in the death of his 13-year-old daughter, slain in a 2014 Texas car crash by an illegal immigrant. Fast forward a decade, and that individual is finally nabbed by ICE.
In this heart-wrenching saga, we meet Chris Odette, a battle-hardened veteran and lone parent who now calls New Hampshire home. His heart had barely healed from losing his wife to cancer when he had to say goodbye to his only child – a cruel twist of fate that came just 15 months apart.
"My wife was gone 15 months before my daughter met her tragic end," Odette shared. "And then, to lose my daughter? She was killed by something that shouldn't have been allowed to happen. It was a tragedy that could have been prevented."
*TOM HOMAN PREPARES TO FIGHT AS CALIFORNIA READIES TO FREE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO KILLED TWO TEENS*
Odette confesses to feelings of apprehension about letting his then 13-year-old, Chrishia, attend a sleepover at a new friend's place in Rockwall, Texas. But with their recent move, she was eager to meet her peers at a new school.
"I kept hearing my late wife telling me to let her live life, enjoy it," Odette recalled. "So, I took her over. It was around 9 p.m. when I dropped her off."
Minutes after he arrived home, Odette got a call: Chrishia had been struck by a car while crossing the street. cops said she was hoofin' it outside a legal crosswalk when disaster struck.
Chrishia Odette was mowed down by a car driven by an undocumented Mexican immigrant named Ramiro Guevara in 2014. (Chris Odette; Rockwall Police Department)
The man behind the wheel, Ramiro Guevara, was a Mexican undocumented immigrant. Rockwall PD cuffed him for driving without a license and lack of operator's license. Docs reveal he spent approximately 35 minutes in custody before posting bail.
According to ICE, Guevara had twice been encountered by Border Patrol – with voluntary returns back to Mexico in 1994 and 2004. At the time of the crash, Texas' Mesquite Police Department possessed an open warrant for him on charges of driving sans license and speeding.
*TRUCKING VET LAWMAKER SOUNDS OFF ON UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT DRIVERS AS REAL ID DEADLINE APPROACHES*
Despite all this, Guevara was set free following the fatal crash in 2014. A grand jury ultimately refused to press charges, claiming insufficient evidence to support criminal negligence.
"They said there was no proof of wrongdoing since he had no substances or alcohol in his system," Odette said, shaking his head. "So, he walked away unscathed."
Chrishia Odette was struck by a car driven by an undocumented Mexican immigrant, Ramiro Guevara in 2014. Grand Jury denied pressing charges against Guevara for lack of evidence. (Chris Odette)
Guevara's immigration case dragged on for years. Per ICE, Guevara filed a petition on March 10, 2016, for relief from removal. His petition was denied on July 28, 2017, by an immigration judge, and he was ordered removed on Aug. 23, 2017.
"This guy has enjoyed life while my daughter is gone," Odette fumed. "She would be 24 now, probably graduated college, would be starting high school at 13. She was smart, talented, and a shining light. Losing her was a crushing blow after we lost my wife."
Odette has tirelessly campaigned for justice, reaching out to policymakers and advocates. Year after year, he faced cold shoulders and closed doors.
"If the laws had been enforced properly, instead of making it easier for illegal immigrants to sneak in and avoid accountability, my daughter would be alive and countless others would be too," Odette said, with tears in his eyes.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement nabbed Ramiro Guevara, a 46-year-old Mexican national, on March 26, 2025, after being ordered removed on Aug. 23, 2017. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
Few cared about his plight, but former U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, was moved by his story. In 2019, he spoke about Chrishia's tale on the House floor, highlighting the importance of securing the border.
Odette also reached out to Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who connected him with border czar, Tom Homan.
On March 26, after years of fighting for justice, ICE finally apprehended Guevara, now behind bars awaiting removal hearings.
"I told her I'd move heaven and earth to protect her," Odette said, "and I hope I see her again someday, so I can look into her eyes and tell her I did everything I could."
Brooke Taylor is a Dallas-based warrior for FOX News Channel (FNC). She joined the network in 2024.
- Chris Odette, a father from New Hampshire, has been advocating for policy-and-legislation changes regarding immigration since the death of his 13-year-old daughter, Chrishia, in a 2014 car crash caused by an undocumented Mexican immigrant named Ramiro Guevara.
- In 2025, General News outlets reported that ICE apprehended Ramiro Guevara, now awaiting removal hearings, marking a decade-long battle for justice in the death of Chrishia Odette.
- Ramiro Guevara's case, involving a preventable tragedy, has highlighted the importance of crime-and-justice and immigration policy-and-legislation reforms, with former U.S. Representative Michael Burgess (R-Texas) speaking about it on the House floor in 2019.
- The Chrishia Odette case has drawn attention to the issue of undocumented immigrants evading accountability, as Guevara was set free following the crash in 2014, despite an open warrant and his encounters with Border Patrol.
- The fight for justice in the Chrishia Odette case has been a focal point in the broader issue of politics, particularly concerning crime-and-justice, immigration, and policy-and-legislation, as well as a story of personal loss and resilience, especially during a sleepover in Rockwall, Texas, in 2014.
