By James Goldmeer
Mail

On a spring evening, the Estrella Foothills High School Class of 2026 walked across the stage to receive their diplomas, stepping forward into adulthood, but one chair remained empty.

Dylan Buensuceso, who would have celebrated his 18th birthday on June 5, was not there to wear his cap and gown. The 13-year-old, described as bright, sarcastic with dreams of becoming a surgeon, was killed on April 26, 2022, by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bicycle home from school near 182nd and San Gabriel drive in Estrella Mountain Ranch.

To ensure his presence was felt, school administration honored Buensuceso with a posthumous, honorary diploma.

"High school graduation is a milestone celebrating a class's journey into adulthood, and  Dylan remains a cherished part of the EFHS Class of 2026," Principal Kimberly Heinz said. "Honoring him ensures his presence, memory, and impact on the community are never forgotten."

Buensuceso’s mother, Mary "Sumi" Mathews said the gesture provided a bittersweet comfort that contrasted with the man who killed her son, Richard Carlos Romo Jr..

Romo is currently incarcerated but actively earning professional credentials including completing a basic automotive technician program and working in the federal Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse program.

"My son was robbed of getting a high school diploma," Mathews said. "Mr. Romo is earning a diploma on the taxpayer's dime. It still hurts to see all his peers graduating while he was robbed of all of that. When Dylan left us, the color drained from our lives."

Mathews, a licensed social worker with extensive professional experience in crisis management and the correctional system, argues that Arizona’s legal framework inadvertently creates an incentive for impaired drivers to flee the scene of fatal collisions.

Public records state that Romo had a history of driving under the influence of methamphetamine, a probation violation, and six prior arrests. 

Less than two years before killing Dylan, Romo was arrested by Tucson Police for fleeing the scene of a September 2020 crash involving the exact same make and model white Ford pickup truck. In that case, charges were dismissed except for reckless driving, which resulted in 12 months of unsupervised probation.

Mathews said that by exploiting this familiar pattern and fleeing into the neighborhood after striking her son, Romo successfully evaded immediate toxicology testing, shielding himself from much harsher charges like vehicular homicide or manslaughter. 

It took Goodyear Police two days to track down and arrest Romo at his local home.

Instead of homicide charges, Romo pled to leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Court records show he was sentenced on May 15, 2023, to the maximum statutory punishment of 8.75 years. 

However, with time-served credits and automated institutional systems for good behavior in overcrowded facilities, his projected prison release date is August 13, 2029, meaning he will serve roughly six years for the death of Buensuceso.

"If you leave the scene, after 24 hours you can't prove that person was high," Mathews said. "If he had stayed, because my son's heart stopped, even basic chest compressions might have kept him alive. But he chose himself. Witnesses saw him look at my son bleeding out, say a curse word, and drive away. The law incentivized him to leave."

Now, Mathews is seeking to channel her grief into legislative advocacy, aiming to reform hit-and-run policies so that fleeing a fatal scene removes any perceived legal advantage to running away.

The loss of Buensuceso was the second catastrophic blow to hit Mathews’ family in less than a year. Just eight months prior, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mathews lost her oldest son to fentanyl poisoning. No criminal charges were ever filed in that case.

"I (nearly) lost my identity as a mom," Mathews said. "I literally felt like I was somewhere between the living and the dead. But I had one child left, and she was looking to me to see if we lay down and die, or if we keep going."

Mathews said she chose to live, using her professional training to separate her personal trauma from her daily work as a therapist at a crisis stabilization center. To escape the constant physical reminders of the tragedy, she and her daughter relocated to Colorado to immerse themselves in nature and hiking as a form of meditation and healing. 

Her surviving daughter, now 20, completed high school at Estrella Foothills despite the overwhelming grief and is currently studying to become a CPA, with long-term plans to attend law school.

"She wants to fight for justice," Mathews said. "She wants to be an attorney to help families who end up in our situation."

Remembering Dylan

Sumi Mathews pushes to honor her son Dylan Buensuceso through legislative advocacy.

Submitted photo/Sumi Mathews

A natural center of attention, he was known for a massive vocabulary, reading at a master’s degree level while still keeping a copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid nearby. He participated in Science Olympiads, local youth sports, and loved making comedic TikTok videos that kept his classmates laughing. Mathews said he was sentimental about his family and doted constantly on Olive, a tiny black kitten he protected fiercely.

"His friends told me that if Dylan walked into class late, the whole room would erupt in applause and say the day could finally begin because Dylan arrived," Mathews said.

Right before his death, Buensuceso had written a poem about summer and his kitten, which was read aloud by a teacher at his eighth-grade graduation from Estrella Mountain Elementary. 

He had also been packing for a school trip to the Catalina Islands. After his passing, his family ensured the pre-paid trip was donated to a student who otherwise could not afford to go.

Though the pain of what should have been remains, Mathews said she hopes sharing Buensuceso’s story will inspire real legal change and offer hope to other grieving parents.

"Life might not look the way you ever imagined, but you can still create a life after tragedy," Mathews said. "We work each day to remember him and live our lives in a way that would make him proud. You just have to find meaning in it again."

James Goldmeer
Reporter | Goodyear & Litchfield Park

jgoldmeer@iniusa.org

Meet James
James Goldmeer joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2024, starting their career as a reporter in Goodyear and Litchfield Park.

Community: James grew up in the West Valley, calling Avondale home and going to school in Glendale and Peoria. Returning to the community after university, James plans to get involved in everything arts and culture, and civil rights.

Education: Northern Arizona University a bachelor's degree in Journalism, a certificate in Professional Communications, with a minor in English. 

Random Fact: James spent half a year as an intern for the Arizona House of Representatives communication team, working with legislators to inform the public through press releases and social media.  

Hobbies: James collects postcards and old books, reads memoirs and attends local jazz shows.