ROCKVILLE, Md. –A fugitive on the run for almost a decade was back in a Maryland courtroom to face his charges for a killing an officer.
According to the court documents, when police caught up with Wilfred Christopher Olalo at an intersection in Rockville, his eyes were bloodshot, his speech was slurred, he reeked of alcohol and he couldn’t stand up on his own. But that didn’t stop him from driving a car.
Metropolitan Police Department Det. Joe O’Brien was gravely injured as he was the victim of the drunk driving accident on Randolph Road.
“Ever being the policeman, may I say how proud I am that at the scene, he did get out of the car to try to go get a tag number,” said Debbie Eckstein, O’Brien’s daughter.
She remembers so clearly about that day in 2004. She also recalls watching her father in the hospital.
“In these six weeks, we had to watch such pain that he was going through,” she said.
O’Brien would end up dying from his injuries. In 2006, Olalo was convicted of homicide by motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol.
“It was a Friday, and they said, ‘By Monday, we want your passport,’” Eckstein recalled. “And then we get the call saying, ‘Oh, he’s fled the country.’”
Olalo fled to his native Kenya.
“It’s not worse, but it was probably as upsetting because my father lived his life to bring justice,” said Eckstein.
Olalo was gone nine years, but he couldn’t escape from justice.
“It’s just good to know that Interpol, the state department and our friends in Kenya in the law enforcement community over there were able to get this fugitive and bring him back,” said Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s spokesperson Ramon Korionoff.
Olalo was back in the United States and back in a Maryland courtroom to face his charges. Court records show he hit four cars that day.
“He was the third hit of that day,” said Eckstein. “Then he actually hit a fourth person backing up to flee the scene from my dad.”
On Wednesday, Olalo received three years in prison — the maximum sentence under law.
“He did apologize and say that he was sorry to the family, but the lawyer pointed out he did not remember this happening,” Eckstein said.
She accepts the sentence, but was bothered that the defendant said he doesn’t remember the accident that killed her father.
“We think about it constantly,” she said. “This man doesn’t remember or feel bad or anything.”
Even so, she is getting what her father always worked for — justice.
VIDEO: Kenyan man who fled crash that killed Maryland police officer finally sentenced
