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13-year-old girl killed when carjacker drags her for miles as she tried to escape family vehicle
Brianna Ibarra (Image source: KAKE-TV video screenshot)

13-year-old girl killed when carjacker drags her for miles as she tried to escape family vehicle

Brianna Ibarra was attempting to flee but got caught by her seat belt

A 13-year-old girl in Wichita, Kansas, was killed over the weekend, after she tried to escape from her family's vehicle while a suspect was stealing it and the youngster got caught in her seat belt.

Brianna Ibarra was dragged for miles behind the vehicle driven by the alleged carjacker, and did not survive.

What are the details?

Authorities say that Brianna was waiting inside her family's SUV parked outside a restaurant Saturday while other family members went inside to pick up the food. That's when Kevin Palmer, 34, hopped in the driver's seat to steal the vehicle and took off.

Brianna tried to get away by jumping out as the vehicle was moving, according to a witness, who dialed 911 and followed the vehicle, The Daily Mail reported.

According to local outlet KAKE-TV, "Wichita Police received several calls from motorists that a woman was being dragged by a vehicle along Kellogg for several miles."

Law enforcement finally caught up with vehicle and Palmer pulled over. The suspect tried to flee, but he was apprehended by officers. Brianna was pronounced dead at the scene, and Palmer has been charged with felony murder.

Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said of the incident, "This is one of the saddest cases I have been associated with in my over 28 years of law enforcement."

What did the family say?

Brianna's heartbroken family described her as "full of life," and "a beautiful soul." Her parents told KAKE that the "loss of (our) daughter was a tragedy that no family should have to go through."

The girl's older sister, Marissa, described Brianna as someone who "loved to create," was "easy and fun to be around. She was bright, carefree, straightforward, family oriented, strong, would do anything for (her) family, affectionate."

A GoFundMe page has been set up by a family friend to help cover funeral costs "and any expenses needed until this family can get back on their feet and back to work." As of this writing, it has raised more than $17,500 of its $50,000 goal.

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