Daniela Tabares and accused murderer Yvonne Serrano of Coral Springs
By Ryan Yousefi
The case involving murder charges against Yvonne Serrano, the Coral Springs woman accused of the 2019 killing of Daniela Tabares Maya, has seen significant developments in recent weeks, including a change in Serrano’s legal representation.
Coral Springs Talk last reported on the status of Serrano’s case in March 2022. At that time, she was kicked out of a live-in drug rehabilitation facility where he was housed while awaiting trial for her alleged slaying of Maya.
At the time, roommates of the halfway house alleged Serrano was bullying and intimidating them, violating the conditions of her release that led to her re-arrest.
As the legal proceedings have continued, Coral Springs Talk has kept an eye on court documents to provide updates.
Here is an updated timeline of recent legal proceedings in 2023.
- June 8, Sealed Indictment and Formal Charges: On June 8, a sealed indictment was ordered, officially charging Yvonne Serrano with three crimes. The charges include murder in the first degree with a firearm and two counts of tampering with physical evidence.
- June 9, Special Instructions for No Bond: The following day, on June 9, special instructions are sent to the state, with the court ordering NO BOND for Yvonne Serrano, emphasizing the seriousness of the charges against her.
- June 12, Invocation of Fifth Amendment Right: On June 12, Yvonne Serrano invokes her fifth-amendment right to remain silent. From then on, she declines to answer any further questions from law enforcement, asserting her right to avoid self-incrimination.
- June 22, Arraignment and Plea: An arraignment is held on June 22, during which Yvonne Serrano enters a Not Guilty plea. The court schedules a hearing for July 28 at 9:00 a.m. to continue the legal process.
- June 28, Public Defender Motion to Withdraw Representation: On June 28, the law office of the Public Defender filed a motion to withdraw representation of Yvonne Serrano. The motion cites that Clarisa Mondejar, currently employed at the Public Defender’s office, may be subject to cross-examination in the case, potentially creating an adverse interest to Serrano. A hearing is set for July 10 to address this matter.
- July 11, Public Defender’s Motion Granted: The motion to withdraw representation of Yvonne Serrano is granted on July 11. As a result, the court appoints a new public defender from the Criminal and Coceral Region Counsel for the fourth district to represent Serrano. A hearing date is subsequently scheduled for July 19.
- July 19, Hearing Date Deleted from Docket: As of July 19, the scheduled hearing has been deleted from the docket.
In 2019, Serrano was arrested after Maya was found deceased with a gunshot wound to the forehead in her driveway.
Although first claiming not to know who the dead body in her driveway could be, following a thorough investigation by Coral Springs Police, it was determined that Serrano, the initial 911 caller, was responsible for shooting and killing Maya.
CSPD discovered that the day before the incident, Maya and Serrano were seen together at World of Beer in Coconut Creek, part of a larger group of friends who attend the same gym.
Surveillance footage showed them leaving the bar together before 2:00 a.m., and Serrano contacted the police at 5:55 a.m., reporting the discovery of an unknown female’s body in her driveway.
During the police interview, Serrano initially claimed she had no recollection of how she got home but later changed her story, stating she woke up to find the victim’s body in her driveway.
As a result of the investigation, Serrano was arrested and charged with Tampering with Physical Evidence, including deleting footage from her doorbell camera, and Murder in the Second Degree. She was subsequently taken into custody and transported to Broward County Jail.
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Author Profile
- Ryan Yousefi has lived in Coral Springs for over 30 years. He has worked as a writer for multiple outlets over the years, including the Miami New Times where he has covered sports and culture since 2013. He holds a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree in Business Healthcare Management from Western Governors University.
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3 comments
Watching the interrogations with Yvonne Serrano, it was so very obvious that she was lying to save herself. I do hope that she gets the most severe punishment for what she has clearly and intentionally caused. I have watched several interrogations by detectives. I have to say that the detectives need to keep in mind that people from other countries behave differently; for example, yvonne’s mannerisms at the police station were very typical of South American people. They tend to talk with their hands. That needs to come into consideration when deciding if lies are being told. With Serrano’s interrogation it was very very obvious that she was lying about forgetting the events of her night out. She made herself to look very stupid and unintelligent.
She doesn’t remember because she’s an alcoholic. It’s nothing unusual. The circumstances surrounding WHY it happened is up for grabs. Wondering if they matched the bullet to the gun. Still doesn’t explain why it happened. Cops in the initial interview were decent but some of them tried to push narratives that were less than realistic. Who knows, maybe the Maya girl was making pushy LGBTQ passes at her and…. sht happens.
That sounds interesting–What less than realistic narratives did the cops push in the initial interview?