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Advertisement Accused drunk driver Eswin Mejia once again a no-show in court Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A court hearing proceeded Friday without the man accused of drunk driving and killing an Omaha woman.Eswin Mejia has been on the run since he bonded out of jail February 5.While there is a national search for the undocumented immigrant, there are now more charges filed and more questions from the victim's family.Police say Eswin Mejia's truck slammed into the back of Sarah Root's SUV near 33rd and ‘L’ streets on January 31st, ultimately killing the 21-year-old.It was a devastating loss for the Root family, and Friday morning in court was just as painful and heartbreaking.The family gathered at the courthouse Friday morning, holding tightly to photos and special things -- like a necklace Sarah gave her mom just days before she died.“On days like today, when I need her close to me like I do,” said Michelle Root.There were tears and hugs as loved ones shared frustration over justice that is yet to be served.Sarah's father Scott says the longer the teen accused of drunk driving is hiding, the deeper the pain for the Root family. “Everybody's looking very hard to find him and bring him back here so he can face these charges,” Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said.Since Mejia was a no-show, prosecutors filed an additional charge of felony "failure to appear."“Due to the defendant's absence, we ask the court to issue a warrant for his arrest (inaudible) and revoke his bond as well. He violated the court's conditions of the bond,” said Matt Kuhse, deputy Douglas County attorney.Judge Jeffrey Marcuzzo then issued a bench warrant for his arrest.The initial $50,000 bond set exactly three weeks ago has been forfeited.Judge Marcuzzo then set bond for $1 million, but prosecutors asked for that to be revoked. The judge agreed, and Mejia will now be held without bond if he is found.Root's family says all this could have been prevented in the first place.“I knew when they posted $50,000 bond, he was going to be gone. Five grand was nothing. So my kid was worth five grand and five days in jail? No, I don't think so,” Sarah’s father Scott Root said.Root's family also demands to know where the accused drunk driver got the alcohol.And most of all, they want Mejia to turn himself in.“Be a man. Stand up, do your time, do the right thing,” Scott Root says.