Driver charged with 2nd degree murder in tragic deaths of Filipino couple in Michigan

Photo from Jen Dormitorio Ambrosio/Facebook

On January 6, a tragic car accident unfolded leading to the heart-wrenching demise of a Filipino couple from Farmington Hills, Michigan leaving six children orphaned and the suspect facing legal action.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald has charged a Romulus man, Angel Melendez-Ortiz, 35, with second degree murder after the suspect, who was driving a stolen car, drove the wrong way and crashed into the Filipino couple’s car during a police chase.

Melendez-Ortiz was charged with two counts of driving a vehicle with a suspended license and two counts of reckless driving causing the deaths of Jen Dormitorio Ambrosio, 43, and Ryan Ambrosio, 45, on the Lodge Freeway.

“These are senseless deaths, and I have authorized the highest possible charges for this crime,” noted McDonald, stating the gravity of the case.

Facing second degree murder charges, Melendez-Ortiz can be sentenced to life in prison. Other felonies could result to 15 years of imprisonment and a $10,000 fine for each.

The charges that the driver faces are as follows:

• Second degree murder
• Reckless driving causing death
• First degree fleeing and eluding police causing death
• Driving a vehicle with suspended license leading to death

Pray for this Catholic family as these six kids lost their parents in a car crash in Michigan. Their car was reportedly hit by a stolen truck. https://t.co/f5bFIXJv8V pic.twitter.com/DxgNNQjDuO

— Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil) January 11, 2024

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Chronology of the Michigan car crash

Unfolding at 1:30 a.m. last January 6, the Michigan State Police spotted the stolen vehicle near Greenfield and Eight Mile Road. A 2006 Ford Super Duty truck was carjacked at a gas station setting a worse scenario that went out of control.

The tragic collision happened when the driver with lights off crashed head on with the Filipino couple’s 2011 GMC Terrain. Lahser Road was shut down for over 11 hours after the Michigan car crash.

Meanwhile, the couple’s friends and family have rallied their support for the bereaved family by putting up a GoFundMe campaign for the orphaned children — showing the community’s solidarity in tragic times like this.

As the legal action unfolds, Angel Melendez-Ortiz is slated for arraignment at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the 46th District Court in Southfield.