Funds Raised For LI Crash Victim's Funeral In El Salvador

BELLPORT, NY — A GoFundMe page has been set up so that the family of a Long Island mother of three killed in a drunk driving crash can ship her remains back to her home country of El Salvador.

In a passage written in Spanish, Oscar Guevara of Shirley describes the Feb. 5 crash that claimed the life of 41-year-old Arely Garcia as "a tragic accident," in which "our dear Arely passed away."

Garcia had three children, two of whom are minors, and they live in El Salvador with her mother, Guevara wrote.

"With your help, Arely's family would like to send her back to her homeland," he wrote. "Arely has been a very appreciated person, not only by her family, but by her friends and colleagues at work."

He went on to write that any donors would be thanked on behalf of her entire family, friends, and colleagues from Tate's, even for "the smallest" donation.

Guevara could not be reached.

It was not immediately clear which Tate's location Garcia worked in.

The funds raised will go to the cost of Garcia's funeral, as well as the support of her children.

So far, about $3,400 of a $50,000 goal have been reached.

Garcia was killed when her boyfriend, Emmanuel Rivera, 40, crashed a 2001 Toyota Camry on Montauk Highway in Brookhaven at about 2 a.m., Suffolk police said. Rivera was injured and treated at a local hospital, but he was later charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor.

He has not posted bail set at a $200,000 bond or $100,000 cash, according to online court records. He is being represented by an attorney from the Suffolk County Legal Aid Society, which does not comment on the cases of their clients.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to contact the Major Case Unit at 631-852-6553.

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