Mom of budding florist, 19, killed in passenger's seat of car driven into fence by friend begs for justice: 'I need answers'

By RACHEL BOWMAN, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 17:44, 18 June 2026 | Updated: 17:59, 18 June 2026 A California mother is calling for justice as the speeding driver who killed her daughter has yet to face charges. Ariana Ayala, 19, was the passenger in a vehicle that crashed into a parked car and then a fence in Sacramento on April 29. Security camera footage shared with CBS 13 showed the vehicle barreling down the street sideways before the crash. Sacramento police confirmed the driver was a 19-year-old male friend of Ayala's who has not been charged. Ayala's mother, Betsy Lopez, is outraged that the driver has not been brought to justice and believes the footage shows he was driving recklessly. 'I need answers, and it feels, as her mom, I'm not getting those answers. I don't want my daughter's life to be swept under the rug. Her life mattered,' Lopez said. She said the footage infuriated her and left her with more questions about the circumstances leading up to the crash. 'I was very angry. I was confused as to why. Why was she in the car? I always wonder, and I'm probably never gonna get the answer to this,' Lopez added. Ariana Ayala, 19, was the passenger in a vehicle that crashed into a parked car, then a fence in Sacramento Security camera footage showed the vehicle barreling down the street sideways before the crash 'What were her last moments like? Was she scared? Was she yelling? Was she saying anything to him at all?'  Ayala was a student at Sacramento City College who wanted to major in biology, according to her mother. She also ran a flower business and sold extravagant bouquets on her social media accounts. 'She was a happy kid. She was very, very loved. She's missed a lot,' Lopez said.  Lopez wants the driver charged so it sends a message to others that they cannot drive recklessly.  'It's not worth it. There are a lot of things that're gonna come after, God forbid, anything like this happens again,' she said. Ayala was a student at Sacramento City College who wanted to major in biology, and she ran a flower business selling extravagant bouquets Sacramento police confirmed the driver was a 19-year-old male friend of Ayala's who has not been charged 'But they need to understand that this is not a game. This is serious. You're putting other people's lives at risk, and it's not fair.' It is unclear why the driver has not been charged. The Sacramento Police Department told the local news station that the case was still under investigation and they could not comment on the matter. The Daily Mail contacted Lopez, the Sacramento Police Department and the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office for comment. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.