‘We lost a wonderful person.’ Family mourns Bradenton mother killed in alleged DUI crash
Every evening, Sara Holmes was greeted by the joyful cries of “Mommy” as her two daughters eagerly ran to her, ready to share the stories of their day.
But on Nov. 2, their cherished routine was forever interrupted when the 37-year-old Bradenton woman never made it home.
“Unfair isn’t even a good enough word to describe this. It’s just not right,” Sara’s mother, Leesa Holmes, said.
Sara and her boyfriend, Sergio Larcher De Brito, were on their way home from work that night when they had the green turn arrow at 43rd Street and Cortez Road. The Bradenton Police Department says it was around 10:40 p.m. when 25-year-old Cesar Navarrete ran a red light , slamming into the passenger’s side of the couple’s SUV.
Larcher De Brito was badly shaken up from the crash but survived. Sara did not. They were one block away from home.
Police arrested Navarrete on charges of DUI manslaughter and driving with a suspended license after detectives say an investigation revealed he had a blood alcohol concentration of .289, nearly four times the legal limit.
Over the past few weeks, family, friends and other community members have shown support after the Holmes family’s loss by raising tens of thousands in an online fundraiser.
Family ‘beyond angry’ after deadly crash
Members of Sara’s family are more than heartbroken by the tragedy. They’re infuriated with Navarrete for his role in a “senseless, horrific tragedy” and want justice.
“I’m beyond angry. I don’t even want to wait for the trial. I want to go outside his jail cell right now and tell him what he’s done to our family so he can sit there while he’s waiting for his fate,” Holmes said.
Sara was going to become a cosmetologist, was going to get engaged to her loving boyfriend and they were going to grow their little family. Instead, family members are making preparations to celebrate a life cut short by tragedy.
Holmes described her daughter as “a beautiful young lady.” Sara was patient, loving and kind, she says. Someone who would do anything to help a friend, family member or even a stranger.
“She was everybody’s friend. She always had a listening ear,” Holmes said.
A server at Shore Longboat Key and formerly a bartender at Swordfish Grill, Holmes said her daughter was beloved by many.
“She touched so many people,” Holmes said.
Holmes recalls her daughter as clumsy and goofy — and the first person to make fun of herself. Sara’s laughter was contagious, Holmes says.
“Her laugh is just something you don’t forget. It’s big and loud and she’s so teeny tiny. It’s a laugh that makes you laugh too,” Holmes said.
Sara loved the beach or anything to do with the water. She loved to fish. Cooking was her love language. Sara would constantly make food for friends, family members and co-workers. She loved puzzles. She loved to dance.
But most of all, Sara loved her two daughters, Charlee, 5, and Nova, 3. They were her world. She had dance parties with them. She cooked with them, too. The three did puzzles together, snuggled and greeted each other every night after Sara got home from work.
But not anymore. Now, the rest of her family must pick up the pieces.
“I have to find a new norm without her. I don’t know what that’s going to look like. And that’s scary,” Holmes said.
Online fundraiser for deadly crash victim
As of Friday morning, an online fundraiser for the family has raised more than $51,000 of its $100,000 goal.
“Anything would be appreciated during this difficult time. She had two young daughters who just lost their mama and her family needs the financial assistance to assure her daughters will be taken care of,” Alexandra Pfafman, Sara’s cousin, wrote on the GoFundMe page.
Sara’s friends and family members plan to gather at Swordfish Grill at 4628 119th St. W., Cortez, on Sunday at 5 p.m. for a celebration of life.
“Sara was so much more than a coworker — she was family,” Swordfish Grill wrote in a recent Facebook post. “Her warm smile and kind spirit lit up our restaurant, bringing joy not only to our customers but to every member of our team.”
“We lost a wonderful person,” Holmes said.
Navarrete, the alleged driver in the crash that killed Sara, entered a not-guilty plea on Wednesday and is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 27, according to court records.
Traffic homicide investigators continue gathering statements regarding the crash. If you witnessed the crash or were in the area in the moments before or after the accident, police ask that you contact Officer Ian Emrich at ian.emrich@BradentonPD.com.
