Mistrial Declared in Second Trial of Woman Accused of Running Over Anti-Gang Activist at Daughter's Memorial, Prosecutors to Retry Case

Jury deadlock in case against Annmarie Drago, as prosecutors vow to retry her for allegedly causing Evelyn Rodriguez's death in 2018 following a dispute at a makeshift memorial for Rodriguez's murdered daughter.

Annmarie Drago, who was accused of running over anti-gang activist Evelyn Rodriguez in 2018, had the second trial against her end in mistrial due to a juror deadlock on the count of criminally negligent homicide.
Drago was found guilty of one misdemeanor count of petit larceny for stealing a bouquet and other items from the memorial that Rodriguez had set up to honor her murdered teenage daughter, Kayla Cuevas.
The accused was convicted in Rodriguez’s death in 2020, however, the conviction was overturned citing prosecutorial misconduct, and a new trial was ordered.
The dispute that led to Rodriguez's death occurred when Drago dismantled the memorial Rodriguez had set up in front of Drago’s mother’s house, where her daughter's body was discovered, in an attempt to not scare off potential buyers of the house.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney has vowed to retry the case, stating that the death of Evelyn Rodriguez was a tragedy that did not have to happen.