BRADENTON, Fla. (WFLA) — Joseph Dralus Jr. said he learned the woman accused of killing his father in a hit and run back in 2020 may avoid jail time with a plea deal. Because of this he said he’s lost faith in the justice system.

Dralus Sr. was known as the Peace Walker in his Bradenton community. Troopers said he was on a walk when he was hit by a driver who kept going.

DNA evidence collected from the truck in 2021 matched the DNA of Dralus Sr.

Teresa Zeppi was arrested in 2022. But Dralus Jr. said there likely won’t be a trial.

“That’s the emotional part of it,” Dralus Jr. said. “Because if he was here, you know, on the other side looking at his two sons, we couldn’t say to him, ‘We’re going to get that done for you dad.’ Because now we have to say, ‘We couldn’t get it done for you, I’m sorry’.”

Police said after the crash, surveillance showed Zeppi get out of the truck, wipe off the front of it, and continue driving.

After her arrest, she bonded out the same day. News Channel 8 On Your Side looked over the case filings with Attorney Bryant Camareno, who is not affiliated with the case.

He points to the defense wanting to show how just five hours before the hit and run, Zeppi rear ended someone else and was cited for careless driving. The defense wanted to use the citing officers dash cam video as evidence and a video taken the same day by someone with the last name Zeppi.

“Something about that dash cam either exonerated her or did something to show that she wasn’t guilty,” Camareno said. “I think that by seeing a good list of witnesses and hiring a good expert, I think is what could have led the prosecutor to say listen, if we take this to trial, we could lose this, then that person will get nothing.”

But Dralus Jr. said he was willing to take that chance.

“We’ll be good with nothing, but we want you to make that effort to get what is truly justice. We didn’t have that opportunity,” Dralus said.

Earlier in the case, prosecutors told Dralus to think of this case as a person walking into a room, seeing someone holding a smoking gun, standing over a body with a bullet in them. They told Dralus the law requires them to ask whether you can prove that person pulled the trigger.

“We thought with that potential, maybe, she gets away with this? No, no way. But there’s a way. It’s happened. It’ll happen tomorrow at 4 o’clock,” Dralus said. “I’ll be there, because I’m going to be visible. I have yet to make eye to eye contact with the defendant. My presence will be felt tomorrow.”

Court documents show Zeppi had traffic infractions before the crash. In 2023, she was cited for careless driving that resulted in a crash.

“How is she behind the wheel still and acting in this unsafe manner?” Dralus said.

“So that’s ultimately a judge’s responsibility to look at that driving record and say, ‘Wait a minute here, why is it that you’re still driving’ or ‘Why is it that you’re still not obeying the law after such a terrible accident that have occurred’,” Camareno said. “But again, it could also come into play that maybe because there was some doubt created by the defense attorney that maybe she wasn’t the driver, or maybe she didn’t know that she had hit someone.”

Dralus said whoever owns the car should be held accountable. But said the punishment Zeppi could face doesn’t match the crime.

“Somebody take notes on this case, because this is how you get away with that,” Dralus said. “That has deteriorated all my faith in the justice system.”

The judge is expected to hear the plea deal in court at 4 p.m. on Thursday.