WINTER PARK, Fla. (AP) - The SUV driver accused of causing a car to crash into a Florida day care, killing a 4-year-old girl and injuring 14 others, most of them children, surrendered to authorities Thursday.
The Orange County Corrections Department said Robert Alex Corchado was in custody, and police say he was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a deadly accident. He was being held on $100,000 bond. His attorney, Jack Kaleita, confirmed his client turned himself in but refused further comment.
"He had nowhere to go," said Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Wanda Diaz.
The surrender came a day after police say Corchado, 28, crashed his Dodge Durango into a convertible, which in turn smashed into the KinderCare building. Authorities - and the mother of the little girl who was killed - pleaded for the suspect to give up, even as they blanketed the state searching for him.
Authorities did not immediately announce charges against Corchado, but he already has a long criminal history. Nicole Quintus, whose daughter Lily Quintus was killed, said he was responsible for heartbreak.
"Families are emotionally destroyed because of what he did," she said in an interview with The Associated Press.
The mother softly sobbed as she spoke of her daughter. She said Lily loved princesses, "Star Wars," the TV series "Doctor Who" and ranch dressing on seemingly everything she ate - even pizza and hot dogs. Lily was sitting at a table waiting for her afternoon snack when the car crashed into the building, and Nicole Quintus said a teacher called her soon after, screaming but unable to say what happened.
"One minute everything was normal and the next there was an explosion and smoke and screams," she said.
Ralph Velez, 48, left a stuffed bear from his 5-year-old son Xavier, who goes to the day care but was unhurt. The bear was a gift from a few Christmases ago, and Xavier - who can't stop talking about the crash - wanted to give it to honor his friends, Velez said.
"He'll say, "stupid car,' or "stupid driver,'" Velez said. "He told us last night that he remembers the driver, who wasn't hurt, getting out and saying, "What did I do? What did I do?'"
Corchado has been arrested eight times since 2000.
Department of Corrections records show he served prison time for trafficking cocaine and extortion. He most recently was arrested in December on a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of a crash involving damage, a felony charge of selling narcotics, and felony marijuana possession. He was released on more than $10,000 bond and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was due back in court in May.