Widow shares memories of ‘perfect husband' after judge denies bond for DUI suspect

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - The heartache and aguish were palpable as Valentina Raquel Fiorillo spoke to reporters about the sudden loss of her husband, Marten Bijvan, who was killed early Wednesday by a DUI suspect.

"He was on his way to work to support me, to support him, to support our dreams and now he's gone. I'm feeling like any wife would feel if they just lost their husband. I just had to watch what happened in court, it's very sad," Fiorillo said.

The widow went to the Fulton County Jail to see the 34-year-old woman accused of killing her husband in a DUI crash. The judge denied bond for Antoinette Battle, who hid her face from news cameras during the Thursday morning hearing.

Sandy Springs police Sgt. Sam Wortham said Battle was driving drunk and did not have a license when she struck and killed 29-year-old Bijvank as he rode his bike to work on Roswell Road.

As she left the jail, the widow told reporters Battle did not attempt to speak to her in court but said the Battle family did approach her. She said her heart aches--not just for her husband, but for the suspect as well.

"They're very kind. They seem like very good people and it's so sad for everyone because they lost someone too, we all lost someone," the widow said.

This is not Battle's first arrest on a DUI charge.

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Fulton's Solicitor General confirms Battle was awaiting trial for an August 2018 DUI arrest in Atlanta. A Georgia State Patrol incident report indicates she was speeding and swerving down Freedom Parkway on August 17 at 3:30 a.m.--in a vehicle fitting the description of the car that was wrecked during Wednesday's deadly collision with Bijvank's bike.

While Battle remains behind bars without a bond awaiting her July 31 court date, Fiorillo is planning a funeral and clinging to memories of the soulmate she describes as “perfect.”

"He's sweet, he's good, he's kind, he is generous, he is funny, there are people all over the world who know him and are missing him. They are missing him, he was so good to anyone," she said as walked to her car in tears.

SEE ALSO: Police: Drunk driver involved in deadly crash previously arrest for DUI