Suspect extradited to Miami following fiery crash in North Bay Village that killed mother, daughters
A 24-year-old man who was arrested last month in North Carolina following a fatal crash that happened in North Bay Village was extradited to Miami Thursday.
Julius Bernstein faces charges of leaving the scene of an accident, criminal mischief, resisting an officer with violence, fleeing and eluding police, reckless driving, aggravated assault on a police officer or firefighter and tampering with an electronic monitoring device.
At the time of his arrest, Bernstein was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals on unrelated warrants from Miami-Dade County, however detectives have named Bernstein as a suspect in the hit-and-run crash from North Bay Village which remains under investigation.
Detectives said they believe he was the driver who was speeding in a Dodge Charger June 17 on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Causeway before hitting a family’s vehicle and then taking off.
Cyndi Orsatelliz and her two daughters, 12-year-old Maria and 15-year-old Sophia, were killed in the fiery crash.
Orsatelliz’s husband told Local 10 News last month that he felt a sense of relief but is devastated.
“My entire family — I lost my entire family due to this individual’s reckless driving,” Saidi said. “My two daughters, they were angels.”
Moments before impact, nearby surveillance cameras captured a car speeding, and then a ball of flames.
Since then, police had been searching for Bernstein.
Bernstein is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center without bond.
