Glenview family seeks justice after migrant suspect kills daughter, friend in Urbana hit-and-run

A Glenview couple is seeking justice after their 20-year-old daughter and her friend were killed in a hit-and-run crash in Urbana, allegedly caused by an undocumented Guatemalan man who fled the scene.

What we know:

Katie Braham, a junior at Ohio University, was visiting friends at the University of Illinois last weekend when the car she and her friends were traveling in was suddenly hit. 

"They were at a stoplight and there was someone who was driving drunk who hit them from behind at full force. And following the accident, he fled on foot," said Katie's father, Joe Abraham. 

Katie died at the scene, and her friend, Chloe Polzin, 21, of Deerfield, died the following day.

U.S. Marshals arrested Julio Cucul Bol, a Guatemalan national using an alias, on a bus in Texas headed for the Mexican border just days after the crash.

Pictured is Julio Cucul Bol of Guatemala.

What they're saying:

Katie’s family said they feel relief knowing the suspect has been apprehended.

"We were very concerned when we found out he wasn't from here. We were afraid he was going to flee. So knowing that they caught him and we have a chance to get justice for Katie, that was great because that's all we want. We want justice for Katie. We want this man to have the maximum sentence possible for all the pain he's caused our family," said Michelle, Katie's stepmother. 

Katie’s father and stepmother said they are speaking out because they believe the U.S. needs to improve how it monitors immigration.

"I don't want to get too political because that's not going to bring Katie back, but certainly, I would like to see more vetting," said Joe. "He was drinking. He was driving, but… is that who we want when we're thinking about immigration?" 

What's next:

The family is asking the public for help in providing information about the suspect’s whereabouts on the night of the crash to help Urbana police build their case.

Katie's body is back home in the Chicago area. Her funeral services are still being planned. 

RELATED: Migrant suspect in fatal Illinois hit-and-run caught 800 miles away, heading to Mexico: officials

Crime and Public SafetyNewsGlenview