‘Happy little girl’ dies in Arcadia crash, family upset driver is out on bond

A family and a community are heartbroken over the death of a 4-year-old girl.

Maleena Valdez was described as a “happy little girl.”

Maleena and a second child were hit as they played in the playground of Imagination Station Learning Center, a preschool and daycare in Arcadia. The second child, a 5-year-old who has not been identified, sustained serious injuries.

Florida Highway Patrol arrested 18-year-old Kiara Morant on two counts of driving without a license involving a serious injury or death, which is a felony. Morant was booked into DeSoto County Jail and released on a $120 bond.

“I miss her so much,” said Maleena’s grandmother Josephine Valdez. “This shouldn’t have even happened.”

The community in Arcadia is extremely angry Morant was released on such a low bond. Family members said it was Maleena’s mother’s birthday on Thursday.

“It’s a little girl who’s bubbly with a lot of personality and had a lot of life ahead of her, now she’s not here no more,” said Ashley Beck, with Beck’s Truckin’ Good BBQ.

Troopers say Morant was driving on State Road 70 when she plowed her car through the daycare’s fence. She ran over multiple signs and turned a playground into a crime scene.

“Our drivers need to do better,” said FHP Lt. Greg Bueno. “That charge was made and she was booked into the DeSoto County Jail. And that is a felony. You know, there is a death involved. And you’re not driving with a valid license.”

At the time of Morant’s arrest, Maleena was still alive, Bueno said, which allowed her to get out of jail on such a low bond.

Since Maleena died, Morant’s charges were amended to felonies.

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