My Son, a Football Player, Was Fatally Run Over and Dragged 75 Feet by a Repeat DUI Offender — The Police Gave Her Just a Ticket on Chicago’s West Side!

December 10, 2026

This article was last updated by Alisha Shrestha on December 10, 2026

Alejandra Gallegos took to her Facebook page to let out her pain that no mother should ever have to carry.

She posted pictures of her late son, Anakin Cesar Perez, and poured out everything that happened that morning on Chicago’s West Side, right in front of his school.

Her 9-year-old son, Anakin Cesar Perez, the little boy who loved football more than anything, passed away on September 18, 2026, just right in front of McNair Elementary School on the West Side of Chicago, in the Austin neighborhood.

Reportedly, Anakin was crossing Walton Street a little after 7:40 in the morning. He came out from behind a gate, ran between two parked cars, and stepped into the street.

Then a silver Chevrolet sedan driven by a woman named Yaritza Marie Rivera, aka Ya Ya, hit him hard, kept going, and dragged his small body 75 feet down the block while other children on their way to school watched in horror.

People screamed at the driver to stop, but the car turned the corner, backed up, saw the boy lying in the street, and then drove away. Only when another parent chased her down in her own truck did the driver come back to the scene.

Anakin was rushed to Stroger Hospital, but sadly, he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The police took Ya Ya into custody that morning and said charges were pending.

By the next day, she was released with nothing more than a ticket with no arrest, no criminal charges, even though the family says she refused a breathalyzer at the scene. That is the part that broke Alejandra completely.

Then Alejandra had had enough of this and took to her social media to share about it. With a heavy heart, she started the post, writing:

It breaks my heart I had to share pictures of my son in that state but I know I wasn’t crazy when the police told me there was no criminal charges against Yaritza Marie Rivera a.k.a Yaya.

Alejandra then listed everything she had learned about Ya Ya, the woman who killed her son, i.e., 14 traffic tickets in the last 10 years, multiple DUIs, and a new DUI case she is still fighting from 2026.

Likewise, two earlier times she struck pedestrians at crosswalks, and somehow she still had a driver’s license.

Then came the worst part, which Alejandra wrote that the police knew all of this, knew the driver refused the breathalyzer, saw the video of her son being dragged seventy-five feet down the street, and still let her walk away with only a ticket.

Furious Alejandra couldn’t understand it and asked over and over:

Who’s protecting this monster??? How many more people does she have to run over for them to lock this POS up!!!????? Why isn’t CPD charging her criminally knowing her background, having a current DUI and denying a breathalyzer!!!?????

She expressed her frustration, saying that if the police had revoked her license a long time ago, her son would still be alive.

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Alejandra went directly for Ya Ya, writing:

You know what you did to my son!! You know you were driving intoxicated!!! You were hysterically crying, claiming it was an accident but as soon as they wanted to breathalyze you, you denied it!!

She also challenged Ya Ya, writing:

If you were so remorseful and innocent, you would have done anything and everything in your power to prove your innocence!!!

She wrote about the special bond she had with her boy, how everyone said he had an old soul, how protective and loving he was, even at 9 years old.

Alejandra wrote how excited he would be for Christmas break and how she should be out buying gifts right now instead of waking up every day to a nightmare that never ends.

She gave out the number for the Chicago Police detective bureau, 312-745-4521, and asked everyone to call and demand they open a real investigation into her son’s death under case number Anakin Cesar Perez.

She wants people to ask why Yaritza Marie Rivera is still free after everything she has done.

Alejandra further said that she thinks about taking matters into her own hands every single day, but she stops because her other 3 children need their mother here and not in jail or in a grave.

She said the pain is so big that she has to take something just to fall asleep and something else to get out of bed, because otherwise she would lose her mind completely.

Now, all she wants is justice for Anakin Cesar Perez, the little football player with the big smile and the heart of gold who was simply trying to get to school that morning.

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• Alejandra Gallegos

Aditi is an avid music lover whose interest's goes beyond the realm of music, with passion in digital marketing. A Gen Z who loves her personal space and is keen to exploring new things. An optimist who seeks silver lining in every circumstances life throws at her.

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