Newly unveiled surveillance and police body camera footage sheds light on a tragic incident in Florida, where a woman is accused of driving her SUV into a lake, resulting in her best friend’s death.

Authorities arrested Julia Vega, 73, on January 31, a month following the incident where she allegedly drove under the influence with her 69-year-old best friend, Elsa Pintor, as a passenger. According to an arrest affidavit examined by Law&Crime, the event occurred on December 31, 2024, around 11 p.m. Vega reportedly sped through an apartment complex parking lot, crashing through a yellow retainer pole and chain link fence before plunging into a lake. Though Vega managed to escape, Pintor’s life could not be saved.

Local NBC affiliate WTVJ acquired the footage from that night, which includes body camera recordings of Vega inquiring with officers, “Did my friend die?”

The affidavit details Vega’s escape from the sinking vehicle through the driver’s side window. Responding officers were present when she called for assistance, using a rope to pull her to safety. Unfortunately, Pintor did not survive the ordeal.

Once the SUV was fully submerged, rescuers managed to retrieve Pintor, who still exhibited a “faint pulse.” Despite being rushed to a hospital, she ultimately succumbed to her injuries.

In the body camera footage, taken while police spoke to Vega in the parking lot, Vega can be heard asking, “Did my friend die?” At the time, the officer could not provide her an answer. Vega was read her Miranda rights and she asked for an attorney. Police said she was “slurring her words, stumbling around on flat grounds, and [had] blood shot, watery eyes.”

When told that she would be asked to undergo a field sobriety test, Vega told police, “I’m not drunk, we only had wine at Cooper’s Hawk.” The body camera footage showed Vega asking, “Why you keep me here so long? Why are you doing this in front of everybody?” Vega was informed that she failed the sobriety tests and was ordered to provide a blood sample.

Police said toxicology results revealed that Vega had a blood alcohol level of 0.148, nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08. She also had alprazolam, also known as Xanax, in her system at the time.

According to reporting by WTVJ, Vega and Pintor’s children are married to each other. Hilton Napoleon, Vega’s defense attorney, said in a public statement, “Ms. Vega and the victim were best friends who also shared grandchildren together. This incident caused a devastating loss to the family. The family asks for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult moment, and asked that you respect their privacy.”

Vega was charged with vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter. Jail records noted that Vega was not currently being held at a county facility. According to court documents, her bond was set at $50,000 and she was ordered not to drive, wear an electronic monitor, and remain on house arrest if released. Her next court date is a trial hearing on Dec. 29.