JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The sister of a woman killed in a fiery car crash off of University Blvd South back in January is speaking out and demanding justice.
Haleigh Smith says her sister, 27-year-old Savana Pendarvis, was tragically killed on Jan. 2 after a driver struck her car. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says the impact caused Savana’s car to spin out of control, hitting a telephone pole before bursting into flames.
JSO has identified the suspect as 24-year-old Alexander Rivera-Russo, who they are still actively looking for.
Smith posted to TikTok earlier this week, saying, “My sister didn’t die instantly in a car crash. She burned to death, alive, while the driver got away.” So far, the video has received nearly half a million views.
“It’s really overwhelming in the best way possible,” Smith said. “I feel like everybody knows the suspect, but I think it’s really important to shed light on who was taken from us.”
Up until now, Savana’s name has not been released to the public. Smith says she wants to make sure people know her name, face and story.
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She says that Savana’s autopsy showed her cause of death as “inhalation of products of combustion,” or smoke inhalation.
“It’s really important to include that detail, so we know the severity of what Savana’s body went through, whether she was conscious or not, and the severity of the crime,” Smith said.
Since speaking out, Smith says that she’s received multiple threats.
“I actually got a text yesterday saying that I needed to stop my little game or I was gonna end up like my sister,” Smith said.
But she says she won’t stop until anyone involved in the incident is behind bars.
“I just know that my sister would do the same for me as I’m doing for her, but probably tenfold,” Smith said. “That person is just trying to silence me, and that’s just not going to work. I’m not going to be silenced until justice is found.”
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Savana’s brother, Dylan Pendarvis, shared the following:
My sister Savana didn’t deserve what had happened to her. Savana was like a big light in a dark room.
She always cared for the people around her. Every time we would travel to Ginnie Springs or something, we would always stop and help people who didn’t have it.
Savana was the type of person who would always make sure someone was okay.
There’s nobody else in this world who is like Savana. She was always someone I was inspired to be like.
Everything she did, she did with care. There was absolutely NO animosity in her heart. She always forgave. I don’t know how she would do it.
She was young, smart, and ahead of life. I was excited to see what was coming her way in life. She just graduated college, ready to move on to the next thing in life.
She had a way of making things okay when they weren’t. I miss her every day. It hurts. I just had a little girl who couldn’t even meet, because of someone who wasn’t even supposed to be out of his house.
SAVANA NEEDS JUSTICE
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In a statement, JSO said, “We continue to actively search for Alexander Rivera Russo. We’re hoping to soon bring justice to the Pendarvis family.”
If you or someone you know has any information that could lead JSO to Russo’s whereabouts, you could be eligible for a reward up to $5,000. To report information, call JSO at 904-630-0500, or anonymously through First Coast Crime Stoppers (1.866.845.TIPS).
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