An illegal migrant allegedly killed an off-duty Connecticut cop and his girlfriend in a head-on crash while drunk and high, according to police.
Melissa Ramirez, 27, sobbed as she appeared in court Monday charged with manslaughter over the deaths of Cooper Whiteside, 38, and his partner, Brittany Islami, 34, the News-Times reported.
Ramirez, a mom of two from Mexico, allegedly clocked speeds of 56 mph in a 45 mph zone when she hit Whiteside’s Harley-Davidson at around 3 a.m. in Danbury on July 13, sending him and his passenger girlfriend flying.
Whiteside, a Bridgeport police officer, was found “lying in a supine position” and he sustained “significant injuries to his head, upper extremities and torso,” police said in their report seen by Connecticut Centinal.
“His right femur was protruding through the skin,” cops added, noting there was a “large pool of blood” in the road.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed in a statement to The Post that Ramirez was in the country illegally.
“Melissa Esperanza Ramirez-Romero is a criminal illegal alien with charges for Vehicular Manslaughter and DUI. On July 26, 2026, ICE lodged a detainer against her,” the department said.
Islami — a mom to three children aged 7, 10, and 12 — suffered “significant injuries” and “had blood around her face,” police said, noting she wasn’t wearing a helmet.
The couple died as a result of blunt force trauma, according to the medical examiner.
Investigators also discovered the crash happened in the motorcycle lane, suggesting Ramirez’s Jeep had crossed lanes.
Ramirez was interrogated and told cops she had one 12-ounce Corona beer, and initially laughed when they asked her if she had taken any drugs.
She later admitted that she took cannabis on July 10, three days before the crash.
Aaron Wolen, one of the responding cops, “noticed that her eyes were watery and bloodshot and that a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from her person.”
Beer was found spilled in Ramirez’s car, and investigators found a THC vape cartridge.
Ramirez’s blood alcohol content was 0.14 – almost twice the legal limit – and she tested positive for cannabis.
She was arrested last Friday, the day of Whiteside’s funeral, and was charged with manslaughter, driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, traveling unreasonably fast, and failure to drive in the correct lanes.
Ramirez’s lawyer, Daniel Thibodeau, said she’s lived in Connecticut for her whole life and “lacks any type of criminal record whatsoever.”
Ramirez’s license has been suspended indefinitely, and she’s set to appear in court on Aug. 31.
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