CA Drunk illegal kills in Oakland

Prosecutor: Nephew said driver in East Oakland crash didn't care
Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 27, 2007

An Oakland man charged Monday with murdering two children in a Thanksgiving night hit-and-run crash told his 17-year-old nephew moments before impact that he didn't care if he or the teenager died as a result of his speeding, a prosecutor said.
Carmelo Salas, 28, was charged with murder in the deaths of Stephanie Cervantez, 14, and her 4-year-old cousin, Jacklin Munguia-Herrera, for allegedly running a stop sign in East Oakland and crashing his Ford Expedition sport utility vehicle into a Ford Mustang carrying the victims about 7:20 p.m. Thursday.
Salas fled after the crash at 89th Avenue and D Street but was arrested early the next morning, police said.
He was charged with murder under the theory of implied malice, which is defined as engaging in an unlawful act done in "conscious disregard" of the risk to human life, prosecutor Norbert Chu said.
Salas told his nephew, who was in the SUV with him, that he wasn't afraid to die and that he would take his nephew with him, Chu said. Salas was going as fast as 80 mph in a 25-mph zone, and the nephew warned him seconds before impact that the Mustang was approaching, the prosecutor said.
Salas was also charged with two counts of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury for hurting Jacklin's mother, Laura Herrera, 23, who was driving the Mustang, and Herrera's daughter, Evalyn Munguia, 3. Both Herrera and Munguia remain hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said.
Salas was also charged with kidnapping his nephew to ride with him in the SUV, Chu said. The nephew feared for his safety because he knew Salas could be "volatile" when he was drinking, Chu said. Police said the nephew helped identify the suspect.
Police believe Salas was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. But prosecutors didn't charge him with DUI because several hours elapsed before he was arrested, making it impossible to measure his blood-alcohol level when the accident happened.
Salas is also the subject of a hold by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement because he is in the United States illegally from Mexico, authorities said.

DE Illegal mom at fault in child's death

Mother of child killed by pickup is charged
Illegal immigrant faces deportation to Mexico
By ALAN J. McCOMBS, The News Journal
Posted Wednesday, November 28, 2007
A woman who was struck by a pickup while trying to cross a highway with her children -- one of whom was killed in the June 9 accident -- faces child endangerment charges and possibly deportation after police learned she is an illegal immigrant from Mexico.
Maria Navarro-Luna, 31, was charged Tuesday with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Police say she was pushing a stroller carrying toddler Luzero Navarro-Luna and leading her 7-year-old daughter by the hand across U.S. 40 near its intersection with Salem Church Road, and crossed into the path of a 1993 Chevrolet 1500.
The impact left the 7-year-old in critical condition with broken legs and a broken neck, as well as injuries to her liver and kidneys. Maria Navarro-Luna also suffered multiple broken bones.
The baby died the next day.
Because a crosswalk was 230 feet from where they entered the roadway, Delaware State Police spokesman Cpl. Jeff Whitmarsh said, authorities decided to charge her.
Navarro-Luna told The News Journal in July that she had crossed U.S. 40 in the past without incident.
"The crosswalk was only a few meters away, but I had always crossed [where the accident happened] and been safe," she said in that interview.
Responsibility for the crash is something Navarro-Luna has been dealing with since it occurred, said Shannon Breedlove, a family friend.
"She blames herself. She tries to be strong," she said. "She's smiling and her spirit is strong but she has moments where she breaks down and thinks people are judging her."
An investigation into the June 9 incident revealed Navarro-Luna, a resident of the Bear area for the past two years, had come to the U.S. illegally after a previous failed attempt to cross the U.S. border, Whitmarsh said.
"Based on the circumstances surrounding her arrest for this case, in addition to her being here illegally and a prior attempt to enter here illegally, that information was presented to [the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service]," he said. "They are assessing the situation."
ICE does not comment on individual immigration proceedings due to privacy regulations, ICE spokesman Ernestine Fobbs said.
Breedlove said in a late morning conversation with Navarro-Luna that she was told she would be deported in the next 48 hours.
Diana Malero, another friend of Navarro-Luna, said she didn't understand why this was happening now.
"Why do they have to rush her? I don't understand the law," she said. "Its hard to accept the law would be that blind, that heartless."
When police arrested Navarro-Luna, she was allowed to contact family and friends to arrange care for her 2-year-old child who was with her, Whitmarsh said. Her 7-year-old child, who suffers short-term memory loss and is still recuperating from her injuries, was at school Tuesday.
Police notified the Mexican consulate about the move for deportation, Whitmarsh said.
Late Tuesday, relatives were taking care of the two children as Navarro-Luna waited at Baylor's Women's Correctional Center on $1,000 secured bail.

Boone, NC drunk illegal kills

WSOCTV.com
Related To Story

Illegal Immigrant Accused Of Driving Drunk, Causing Fatal Boone Crash
POSTED: 5:30 pm EST November 26, 2007

BOONE, N.C. -- An illegal immigrant is accused of driving drunk in Boone over the Thanksgiving holiday and plowing into a sport utility vehicle, killing a man inside.
Boone police said Juan Manuel Juarez Reyes slammed into the rear of a Lexus SUV that was about to turn from Highway 105 onto Poplar Hill Drive shortly before 11 p.m. Friday. The SUV was skidded 250 feet, hitting a Watauga County deputy’s patrol car. The occupants of the SUV were trapped inside their vehicle but the deputy was not hurt.
The driver, Sallie Ellis Newell, and passenger Jacqueline Elizabeth Newell were taken to the Watauga County Medical Center where they were treated in released. But Brian Alan Newell and Andrew Russell Newell, who was in the back passenger-side seat, were flown to Johnson City Regional Medical Center.
Andrew Newell, 22, died at the hospital. His father remains in critical condition.
Family members said the Newells were returning from a Thanksgiving trip to South Carolina and were only a quarter-mile from home.
Authorities said Monday that Juarez Reyes was caught in the country by Border Patrol agents in 2002 and was sent back to Mexico. They aren’t sure when he re-entered the United States.
Police say he was speeding and drunk when the crash happened.
Juarez Reyes is charged with driving while impaired, driving without a license and three counts of felonious assault with a deadly weapon causing serious injury by vehicle.
He is being held under $75,000 bond and has asked for a court-appointed attorney. He’ll be back in court Jan. 14.

Little girl killed by drunk illegal

Man accused in drunken driving death here illegally
By MIKE GLENN Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

An accused drunken driver was in the country illegally when he drove onto a sidewalk in southwest Houston last week and fatally struck a toddler walking with her parents, authorities said.
Gissela Silvestre, 23 months, died from her injuries Oct. 16 after spending two days in critical condition at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital.
The driver, Angel Jesus Hernandez, 24, fled the scene after striking the child on Oct. 14 along the 6100 block of Windswept.
He was arrested a short distance away after striking several other cars.
Officials with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement said Hernandez is originally from Mexico. They don't know when he came to the United States or how he entered the country — other than to say it wasn't through legal means.
"I just know that he hasn't been arrested before this," said ICE spokeswoman Leticia Zamarripa. "He doesn't have any prior immigration history."
Houston police officers administered a breathalyzer test about three hours after the accident. The examination indicated Hernandez had a blood alcohol level of .15, police said. The legal limit for intoxication in Texas is .08.
Hernandez was charged with intoxicated assault with a vehicle and failure to stop and render assistance. He remains at the Harris County Jail without bond.
mike.glenn@chron.com

NJ Illegal Rapes Girl while girlfriend sleeps

Englewood man charged with rape Wednesday, October 10, 2007 By MAYA KREMENSTAFF WRITER
ENGLEWOOD -- An illegal immigrant has been charged with raping a woman on the living room couch of the apartment he shared with his mother, girlfriend and their son.
The 23-year-old woman had accompanied Harold Mendoza and his girlfriend on Friday night to the Blueside Grill, an upscale Englewood bar. After a few drinks, the three went back to the couple's Humphrey Street apartment around midnight, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said.
An hour later, Mendoza left the bedroom he shared with his girlfriend to forcibly have sex with the sleeping victim, the prosecutor charges. When his girlfriend tried to intervene, he hit her in the face, they said.
The two women reported the incident to Englewood police, and were treated at Englewood Hospital and released. Mendoza's girlfriend had bruises on her face, arms and legs, but was not seriously injured, authorities said.
Mendoza, 24, was arrested Saturday on charges of domestic violence, sexual assault and simple assault. He is being held in the Bergen County Jail on $109,000 bail.
The Department of Homeland Security was also notified because of Mendoza's residency status.

TN- Another drunk illegal driver

The man police believe is responsible for the fatal car crash on Interstate 440 over the weekend is believed to have entered the country illegally. An immigration hold has been placed on Lorenzo Hernandez Santiz, 21, following his arrest Sunday for vehicular homicide. Santiz, who also goes by the name Jorge Hernandez, is suspected of speeding and being under the influence of alcohol when he lost control of his car just after 2 a.m. Sunday on the ramp from I-440 West to Interstate 40. The car ran off the roadway, collided with a utility pole and rolled several times before coming to a final rest. The passenger in the car, 27-year-old Nicolas Hernandez, died at the scene. Santiz, who alleged to have illegally entered the United States from Mexico, admitted to drinking four beers prior to the crash. He is being held without bond. Police said Santiz was arrested in 2006 on a variety of charges

Missing Illegal (3rd world crime is here)

Unusual kidnapping puzzles police

RICHMOND: Anonymous caller threatened immigrant in days before disappearance
By Karl Fischer
STAFF WRITER Contra Costa Times
Article Launched:10/06/2007 03:25:21 AM PDT
By Karl Fischer
STAFF WRITER
Someone kidnapped a Mexican immigrant from the streets of Richmond last week and demanded money from a relative in exchange for his safe return, police say.
Though the victim's brother-in-law complied, police say the family has not heard from the kidnappers in nearly a week, and authorities do not know what became of the victim.
"This is an extremely difficult case," Detective Terry Miles said. "We don't know much about the victim or about the suspects."
The brother-in-law called police Sept. 26 after receiving a threatening call on his cell phone. The anonymous caller said he would kill the brother-in-law, whom police did not identify, if he did not pay $5,000 via Western Union.
The brother-in-law, who moved to Richmond a few years ago and sells corn from a pushcart, did not have $5,000, Miles said. But the caller knew a great deal about him, including where he lived, what his home looked like and the license plate number of his car.
The same caller phoned again later that day, prompting the brother-in-law to make a police report. The calls came from different phones with area codes in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas, police said.
The brother-in-law also talked about the calls with the victim, identified as Carlos Rodriguez, who said he had no idea who would make such threats. Rodriguez, who is undocumented, moved in with his brother-in-law about two weeks earlier to make money selling corn.
Rodriguez arrived from Mexico about three months ago, Miles said. The brother-in-law explained to police that he paid to bring his relative to the United States via a coyote, a slang term for someone who smuggles Mexican immigrants into the country.
Rodriguez and his brother-in-law parted from their home about 2 p.m. Sept. 28, heading different directions to sell corn. Rodriguez did not come home when expected.
The brother-in-law got a third call from the anonymous man Sunday morning. This time the call came from a blocked number. The caller said, "We have your brother-in-law, and we're going to kill him if you don't pay us," Miles said.
The kidnapper then briefly allowed Rodriguez to speak to the brother-in-law. He said he was in Arizona, and that the people who took him meant what they said.
The brother-in-law told the kidnapper that he did not have $5,000, and was told to wire what he had to a location in Mexico via Western Union. The brother-in-law sent about $2,400, Miles said.
The kidnapper called once more Sunday evening, accusing the brother-in-law of placing a hold on the wired money, which he had not done. The brother-in-law said there was no hold on the money, and someone picked it up soon after, Miles said.
That was the last the family heard from either the kidnappers or Rodriguez.
Miles said the brother-in-law trusts Rodriguez, who has been in the family for nine years, and also the coyote, whom he would not identify. Miles said the brother-in-law previously had used the coyote successfully and without incident.
While police lack much solid information about the case, an FBI spokeswoman confirmed that the federal agency is assisting the investigation. The Mexican consulate in San Francisco did not return a call Friday.
Richmond police have not investigated any similar cases, Detective Sgt. Mitch Peixoto said. Antonio Medrano, a longtime Latino activist in Western Contra Costa County, said he has never heard of a local kidnap-for-ransom scheme targeting his community.
But undocumented immigrants are extremely vulnerable to crime because of their relative anonymity, language barriers and fear of deportation. Immigrant workers in the region frequently get ripped off by dishonest, under-the-table employers as well as muggers, Medrano said.
"They are vulnerable. Many of them are afraid of la migra," Medrano said, using the Spanish word for immigration authorities. "And any kind of threats made to them, they give in too easily, because they come from countries where the police are not to be trusted."
Peixoto stressed that Richmond police want to help immigrant crime victims, do not enforce federal immigration law and do not provide information about victims to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"Anyone in a situation like this one should call the police department as soon as possible," Peixoto said. "We don't care what your status is. We're here to help."
Rodriguez moved into the home of his brother-in-law in the North Richmond area last month. He stands about 5 feet 9 inches, and his brother-in-law said he is 25. Residents may have seen him selling corn on the street in the neighborhood. Police do not have a photo of the victim.

Day Loiterer rapes client

Alleged Santa Monica Rapist, 17, Charged As Adult
Bail Reportedly Set At $7 Million
(CBS) LOS ANGELES A 17-year-old day laborer accused of breaking into a Santa Monica condominium and raping the occupant when she returned home was charged as an adult Tuesday with nine felonies. Luis Mario Lopez is scheduled to be arraigned at the Airport Branch Courthouse on charges including forcible rape, residential burglary and unlawfully taking the woman's 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL 500 convertible. Prosecutors were asking that his bail be set at $7 million. Lopez was arrested Friday in his hometown of Oxnard while driving the woman's vehicle, according to Santa Monica police. Evidence linking him to the crime was recovered from the car and his home, police said. The woman was confronted and tied up about 10 p.m. Thursday when she came home and found the house had been ransacked, police said. The woman was repeatedly attacked over a four-hour period and suffered injuries including a broken nose, according to Deputy District Attorney Lisa Houle. Authorities said evidence indicates that the teen entered the victim's home some time Thursday morning and then attacked her when she returned home. The suspect, who had previously worked for the 42-year-old victim at her home in the 1100 block of Princeton Avenue, allegedly got in through a doggie door, police said. At a news conference last week, Santa Monica police Chief Tim Jackman called the crime "vicious and brutal" and said authorities believe the woman was "specifically targeted. "Lopez faces multiple life prison terms if convicted, according to the District Attorney's Office.

AZ Man robbed at Jack in the Box by illegal

Man in line at Jack in the Box robbed, beaten
By Francesco MoralesTribune
Mesa police arrested a man this weekend after he beat up a Jack in the Box customer and ran out the door with the victim's wallet. According to a police narrative, the assailant then hid in a small transient shack near the restaurant, where he changed clothes and hid the wallet inside a mattress.Police said the assailant, Jesus Alvarez-Martinez, then commandeered a bicycle and attempted to flee the scene. Police said Alvarez-Martinez first identified himself as Jesse Martinez, and court records list him as an illegal immigrant with a history of arrests.Martinez, 25, told police he was angry at the victim for driving too close to the sidewalk along Southern Avenue, and he followed the victim to the restaurant about 4 p.m. Saturday to confront him "at the right moment."The victim, who was not identified in court records, sustained redness and swelling on the right side of his head and forehead. The victim called police after seeing Martinez flee the scene on a bicycle, Mesa justice court records state.Police obtained a surveillance video from the Jack in the Box location that showed Martinez taking the wallet before beating the victim with his fists and knees, the records state.A records check showed a warrant from the U.S. Marshal's Office for Martinez on suspicion of illegal entry into the country.Martinez's prior arrests were on suspicion of probation violation, vehicle theft and a flight after a felony.Police found the wallet and all its contents, excluding $23 taken from it, inside the shack. The $23 was hidden in Martinez's socks, police said.

NC Drunk illegal kills 2 in Guilford County

Illegal Alien Charged in Death of Two Motorists
Last Edited: Monday, 24 Sep 2007, 5:02 PM EDT
Created: Monday, 24 Sep 2007, 5:02 PM EDT

By ANGELA RODRIGUEZFOX8 News

GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) – State police said the man charged with crashing into two parked cars on Interstate 40/85 Sunday morning is an illegal alien. Investigators said Jose Balderas has yet to produce a photo ID, and will not be released from jail until he provides one. Balderas reportedly told investigators he has been living in Washington, D.C. for the past seven months.Troopers said Balderas crashed his pickup into two cars along the westbound lanes of I-40/85 between Rock Creek and Mount Hope Church roads, near the retaining wall. The first car, a Honda Civic had broken down. A man driving a Dodge Neon had stopped to help. The drivers of both cars were reportedly in the Neon, calling for help, when the pickup driven by Balderas slammed into the Neon. The impact pushed the second car into the Civic, causing an explosion that engulfed all three vehicles. Both people in the second car were killed. Their names have not yet been released. "They were sitting there waiting for a tow truck to arrive and this gentleman comes along not abiding by the law and causes an accident of this magnitude," said Trooper K. Kutzer, NC Highway Patrol.Witnesses told investigators the man driving pickup was speeding, and driving erratically. Balderas is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, driving while impaired and underage drinking.

AZ Illegal Stabs Girlfriend 17x (in December) CAUGHT!

Man Arrested, Accused Of Stabbing Girlfriend 17 Times

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- A man accused of stabbing of his girlfriend 17 times in North Carolina on Christmas Day has been arrested in Flagstaff, according to U.S. Marshals.

Juan Carlos Ramirez faces a first-degree murder and two attempted murder charges in Greensboro.
After stabbing his girlfriend, April Caldwell, to death, Ramirez then tried to stab her two roommates as they attempted to intervene, according to the U.S. Marshals office.
Caldwell had broken up with Ramirez weeks before, but the arrangement apparently wasn't working for Ramirez, federal investigators said.
After Caldwell left her parent's house, police said Ramirez followed her to an apartment she shared with two men. Ramirez asked Caldwell's two roommates to leave so he could talk to April alone, according to investigators. The men and April agreed, but only for a few minutes, police said.
The men told authorities by the time they came back Ramirez had stabbed Caldwell several times, and the man turned on them as they tried to help. Everyone ran outside the apartment, the men away from Ramirez, Ramirez after the men, and the woman staggered to the ground.
On July 28, America's Most Wanted featured Ramirez on their program and within a week, police said they were closing in on Ramirez.
Authorities got a tip that Ramirez was in Union City, N.J., just over the bridge from Manhattan. An America's Most Wanted producer went along with Greensboro police detectives and members of the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force as they hunted for Ramirez. They said they found his hide-out, but missed him by just a few days.
The investigation continued another couple months, leading investigators to Flagstaff. It was discovered that Ramirez had assumed a new identity as Miguel Sosa.
Under this name, Ramirez was working and living his life in hiding, U.S. Marshals said. He was residing in a town home with several other Hispanic men.
Surveillance confirmed that Ramirez was in fact living there, leading U.S. Marshal and Immigration and Customs Enforcement task force members to raid the home early Thursday morning. Ramirez and five illegal immigrants were arrested during the raid, police said.
"This case was made one of our highest priorities because of the violent nature of the crime alleged to be committed by Ramirez," said Case Deputy U.S. Marshal Bill Noble.
"Violent fugitives such as Ramirez are given the highest priority by the Marshals Service because of the potential to harm other innocent citizens while they remain at large," Noble said.

AZ Illegal murders Cop

After deportation, shooter was caught, freed again

Judi Villa, Michael Kiefer, Carol Sowers and Michael Clancy
The Arizona RepublicSept. 20, 2007 12:00 AM

Erik Jovani Martinez should have been in prison and not jaywalking the day he gunned down Phoenix police Officer Nick Erfle. But despite a lengthy criminal history and a deportation, Martinez remained free, even after he was arrested again in the Valley just two months after he had been forced to leave the country in 2006. Scottsdale police say they didn't know Martinez, 22, was an illegal immigrant or that he had been deported when they arrested him in May 2006 for grabbing his girlfriend's arm twice during a quarrel.

Martinez was deported in March 2006 after a felony conviction for theft.Had Scottsdale police known, Martinez should have been jailed and should have faced federal charges for returning to the country illegally. A conviction would have earned him up to 20 years in prison.Instead, he posted $300 bail and was released.On Wednesday, one day after Martinez gunned down Erfle on a central Phoenix street, the officer's death reignited the ongoing immigration debate.Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon called on Washington officials to "secure the border and secure it now" before another officer pays the ultimate price."This individual that took our officer's life is a perfect example, a poster child, of our failed Washington policy for securing our borders," Gordon said.But others say Martinez shouldn't necessarily be a flashpoint in the acrimonious debate over where immigration policy and law enforcement should intersect.Martinez was brought to the United States as an infant and lived his whole life here. Clearly, he also was a career criminal, racking up a dozen arrests before he turned 18 and continuing to have brushes with the law afterward.Even law-enforcement officials said they were hesitant to say Erfle's murder could be blamed on immigration issues."It's a big, complex issue," said Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has been in the national forefront when it comes to pursuing undocumented immigrants.Still, Arpaio admitted, "You can't catch 'em all. We have a lot of violence out there, whether you're legal or illegal."

A troubled youth Martinez has an extensive juvenile record that includes assaults and auto thefts. He was a documented gang member who admitted in court papers that he drank and smoked marijuana and crack cocaine. His first arrest, in July 1999, came after his parents reported him as incorrigible. Martinez spent most of his teens on probation. Arrests for truancy led to more serious things: underage drinking, several threats and assault and stealing a vehicle. Martinez was serving time in juvenile detention for auto theft when he turned 18 and had to be released, according to court records.Just months later, he was in trouble again, arrested for auto theft. He served time in a Maricopa County jail, then violated his probation and eventually wound up in prison in January 2006. Two months later, Martinez was deported. Typically, illegal immigrants convicted of a felony must serve all or part of their sentence before being deported.

Sneaking back Martinez apparently sneaked back across the border almost immediately. Scottsdale police arrested him on May 15, 2006, after an officer saw him quarreling with his girlfriend. Scottsdale police spokeswoman Shawn Sanders couldn't say whether officers had contacted immigration officials after the arrest. She would say only that information about Martinez's deportation was "not available to us at that time."A spokesman with Immigration and Customs Enforcement said he didn't believe Scottsdale police had contacted the agency, but he couldn't say that unequivocally.A judge ordered Martinez into a domestic-violence counseling program, but he "didn't comply" and an arrest warrant was issued, Sanders said.By the time Erfle was killed, Phoenix police were trying to find Martinez for hitting his girlfriend and threatening her with a shotgun in June 2006. Phoenix police obtained a warrant for his arrest in January and were trying to locate him. The link between undocumented immigrants and crime is difficult to quantify. On Wednesday, about 18 percent of the 10,108 inmates in Maricopa County jails had immigration holds, sheriff's Capt. Paul Chagolla said. An estimated 10 percent of Arizona's population is Mexican nationals. It's difficult to say whether that's a reflection of illegal immigrants committing a disproportionate amount of crimes or if it reflects Arpaio's crackdown on those who enter the United States illegally. The percentage of the jail population with immigration holds has doubled since Arpaio began his crackdown.Still, crime certainly has morphed into a hot-button issue in the immigration debate. Phoenix police were reluctant to address the issue before Erfle is laid to rest, but officials acknowledged that they could not draw a link between immigration policy and the officer's murder. "It's random," Lt. Benny Piña said.

"I don't think there's a correlation there."Before Erfle, the last Phoenix police officer killed by an undocumented immigrant was Marc Atkinson, who was ambushed and shot to death in 1999. Since then, five Phoenix police officers, including Erfle, have been shot to death in the line of duty."I think the officers are committed to doing their job regardless of whether the person's in the country illegally or not," Police Chief Jack Harris said. Police Sgt. Andy Hill recalled that when Phoenix police Officer George Cortez Jr. was shot to death in July while answering a call about a bad check, the questions revolved around whether officers should travel alone or in pairs. Cortez did not have a partner."It's the job," Hill said. "It's you putting human beings in circumstances, and that human being is subject to all the dangers that are out there."We arrest people like that every single day who don't say they're going to kill a police officer."

St. Louis- Illegal driving wrecklessly

Driver in restaurant crash caused earlier accident, records show By Patrick M. O'Connell ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH Thursday, Sep. 20 2007 Clayton — The illegal immigrant whose SUV ran into diners outside a Clayton eatery this week had been involved in a crash in St. Louis less than two months ago.City police records indicate that the driver, Sergio Lopez, 23, caused a collision July 26 on South Kingshighway near Southwest Avenue while driving the same SUV.Eleanor Sanford, 80, said Wednesday that an SUV had turned in front of her from a gas station parking lot, hitting her car and sending it spinning. She was shaken but not seriously hurt.The driver sped off, Sanford said, and police tracked him through a license plate that fell off. "He just hit us and took off," she said.She said she did not connect her wreck with Tuesday's high-profile Clayton incident until reporters called her about it Wednesday."I don't see how this man was allowed to drive," Sanford said. Lopez was cited in her case for driving with no driver's license, improper license plates, no insurance and failing to yield to an emergency vehicle.The report does not indicate any police awareness that Lopez was in the United States improperly.On Tuesday, Lopez told Clayton police he was temporarily blinded by a bright light as he attempted to make a left turn from westbound Maryland Avenue onto southbound Central Avenue. Officials said he did not explain whether it was a sun reflection or something else.His Ford Expedition crashed into the sunken eating area of Il Vicino, pinning two people beneath it and injuring a third. Ann Stockton, 62, and James Travaglini, 63, were treated at a hospital and released. Travaglini's wife, Kathryn Travaglini, 54, remained hospitalized Tuesday afternoon with broken ribs and an injured foot, said her father, Jim Lansmon.Clayton Police Chief Thomas Byrne said Lopez had been trying to find a job in Clayton and did not appear to have been under the influence of alcohol or speeding. Clayton officers cited Lopez for driving with no license and no proof of insurance and for making an improper turn.Lopez, who officials said is from Mexico, is being held at the St. Louis County Justice Center in Clayton on a federal detainer issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He lives in an apartment near Tower Grove Park in St. Louis. No one answered the door or phone there Wednesday. Lopez owns the SUV, Byrne said. It is registered in Illinois. Officials said Lopez had a post office box in Collinsville, but there was no explanation why.

Los Gatos mom of 4 hit by drunk illegal

Suspect in Los Gatos crash had blood alcohol level twice the legal limit
By Connie SkipitaresMercury NewsSan Jose Mercury News
Article Launched:09/14/2007 06:21:50 PM PDT
The San Jose man charged with critically injuring a Los Gatos Little League mom while allegedly driving drunk last Sunday had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit when he slammed into her, crushing her legs and nearly killing her.
Lucio Rodriguez, 27, had a blood alcohol level of .16 when his blood was drawn about an hour and a half after the 5:30 p.m. crash at a parking lot next to Baggerly Field in Los Gatos, according to authorities.
Cole, 44, a mother of four, was taking one of her son's bikes out of the back of her SUV when Rodriguez's Chevy Blazer swerved off Blossom Hill Road and ran into her. He then took off.
Officers stopped him a short time later about four miles from the crash scene. Rodriguez was unable to stand on his own when officers asked him to get out of his car, according to a police report. They said he smelled strongly of alcohol, his eyes were glassy and he slurred his speech. They also said that prior to stopping him Rodriguez was weaving through traffic and driving erratically.
According to the police report, Rodriguez joined a friend between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. at a 76 gas station not far from the crash site and the two drank beers behind the station. The friend is an employee at the station. The friend told police that Rodriguez left the station about 5 p.m.
Rodriguez, who worked at the Lark Avenue Car Wash and at Una Mas restaurant in Los Gatos as a cook, called the eatery to say he was feeling sick and would not make it to work. He said he'd been drinking and was not physically able to go to work, the report said.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman said Friday that Rodriguez has been living in the U.S. illegally. Rodriguez had been convicted of drunken driving in March for an incident stemming back to January. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail and ordered to pay about $1,600 in fines. The sentence is consistent with a first-time offense.
Saturday, Sara Cole is facing her fourth surgery of many on her critically injured left leg. Both of her legs were crushed when Rodriguez crashed into her and doctors say she still may lose her left leg. The crash occurred during a Little League game. Sara Cole's sons, their baseball buddies and parents rushed to help her as she collapsed.
Bill Cole, her ex-husband and spokesman for the family, said she is "in really good spirits" and is desperately fighting to regain use of her legs.

Article by Tom Tancredo

Protect America's children
September 14, 2007 By Tom Tancredo - The law enforcement policies of New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine and Newark Mayor Corey Booker — who have ordered the police officers under their authority not to inquire as to the immigration status of the violent criminals they arrest, let alone initiate deportation proceedings — are infuriating, but not unprecedented. As outraged as Newark, New Jersey, and the entire country are over the schoolyard executions of Terrance Aeriel, Dashon Harvey and Iofemi Hightower, we cannot deny that we have seen this kind of thing before. There is, after all, a long and bloody tradition in this country of state and local political obstruction of federal law enforcement that pre-dates the Newark massacre. Mr. Corzine and Mr. Booker should take note: their predecessors in this dangerous game have not come out well in the history books. On Sept. 4, 1957, three years after the Supreme Court's landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus ordered the Arkansas National Guard to surround Little Rock's Central High School to block nine black students from entering the school. It ultimately took a federal injunction, a police escort and paratroopers from the 101st Airborne to force Mr. Faubus to back down and get the three boys and six girls safely enrolled in the school. On Sept. 20, 1962, James Meredith, a 19-year-old black student, tried to enroll at the University of Mississippi, but he was denied access to the school by Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett. Ultimately, President John F. Kennedy had to send in federal marshals to ensure Mr. Meredith's entry and protect him during the ensuing campus violence. The following fall, Alabama Gov. George Wallace made his infamous "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door" to prevent two black students, Vivian Malone and James Hood, from enrolling in the University of Alabama. Miss Malone and Mr. Hood were only allowed into the school when Mr. Wallace was confronted by federal marshals, the U.S. Deputy Attorney General and a federalized Alabama National Guard. Finally, in March, 1965, Dallas County, Alabama Sheriff Jim Clark ordered his police force to use tear gas, billy clubs and bull whips to deny black marchers their right to petition Mr. Wallace to protect black's voting rights. On and on the embarrassing story of state and local opposition to Civil Rights reads. Because of a combination of personal racial animosity and cynical political grand-standing, these villains of history neglected their sworn duties at a cost of violence or the threat of violence. Democrats and the open-border crowd risk following in their footsteps by subverting the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton. Such are the wages of cowardly political correctness. Which brings us back to Mr. Corzine, Mr. Booker and the Newark slayings. Jose Carranza, the man charged with the three execution-style murders, is a career violent criminal, who was only on the streets because he was out on bail for sexually abusing a 5-year old. But of course, Carranza was a criminal before he was ever charged with rape or murder. He's an illegal alien, drawn to this community because of Mr. Booker's policy of declaring Newark a "Sanctuary City," in which illegal immigrants will never be identified or prosecuted — that is, in which federal laws will not be enforced. Just as Orval Faubus and Jim Clark tried to create "Sanctuary Cities" for racial separatists, so Mr. Booker — with the support of Mr. Corzine — have created safe havens for foreign criminals. Mr. Booker and Mr. Corzine are, respectively, the chief law enforcement officers of the city of Newark and the state of New Jersey. Their cynical policy of immigration non-enforcement — whether motivated by compassion, ideology, or crass political calculation—– represents indirect complicity in the crimes committed by illegal immigrants in their jurisdictions. If Carranza is convicted, the families of his victims should file massive civil rights lawsuits against the Faubuses and Wallaces of their era. Finally, it's worth remembering that the Civil Rights crises above were all quelled by firm presidential leadership. Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy — like George Washington and Ulysses Grant before them — used military troops to enforce federal law and restore justice in recalcitrant communities. 40 years later, the parents of Terrance Aeriel, Dashon Harvey, and Iofemi Hightower might well be wondering why President Bush failed to protect their children. Rep. Tom Tancredo represents Colorado's 6th district. He is the founder and former chairman of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus.

VA Twice deported illegal kills

Man, 51, choked to death
By ELISA A. GLUSHEFSKI
eglushefski@manassasjm.com
Thursday, September 6, 2007
A twice-deported Salvadoran immigrant was charged with strangling an acquaintance during a fight Sunday, Prince William County police said Wednesday.
Christian Molina, also known as Jose Maximino Flores-Perales, 30, of 9011 Whispering Pine Court, Manassas, was charged with the murder of 51-year-old Ronald Dean Hollingsworth.
The two men were at a mutual friend's house at 10625 Dumfries Road - a rundown house near a gas station by Old Dominion Speedway. The two had been drinking when they began to fight, Hernandez said. Molina then strangled Hollingsworth, police said.
A third man, whose name was not released, was also at the house and called 911 when he realized Hollingsworth was not moving, police said. Around 5:20 p.m., police responded to the call of an unconscious man and Hollingsworth was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Hollingsworth apparently lived in an abandoned, boarded-up shack near the house where his body was found, police said.
No one answered the door at the house on Dumfries Road on Wednesday evening.
Police arrested Molina after the Medical Examiner's autopsy revealed that Hollingsworth's injures were consistent with strangulation, Hernandez said.
After fingerprinting Molina, police learned that he was deported in 2003 and 2005 because of his illegal status and for criminal activity, Hernandez said.
Molina is being held without bond pending an Oct. 16 court date. Police have obtained an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer for Molina.

NJ Illegal gangbanger murderer

Prosecutor: Murder suspect an illegal alien
By CAROL COMEGNOCourier-Post StaffMOUNT HOLLY
A man accused of fatally shooting a Burlington City man and wounding his former girlfriend over the weekend is an illegal alien and a street gang member, a prosecutor told a judge Tuesday.
The suspect, Jesus Avila, 22, of Kinsley Road in Pemberton Township, remained in the Burlington County Jail Tuesday after a Superior Court judge reaffirmed his $1 million bail.
Deputy first assistant county prosecutor James Ronca said Avila was not only an undocumented alien from Mexico but was out on bail on a minor charge when the shootings occurred Saturday.
Avila is charged with killing Gilbert Parra, 19, of Burlington City and wounding a 17-year-old girl, identified as Avila's former girlfriend, in the ankle.
Ronca said the shootings followed an argument over the girl that began on the telephone and continued after Avila drove to the house on the 400 block of Washington Street with three friends. The prosecutor said Parra was found lying outside the house while the girl was inside the home when she was shot.
"Jail personnel said they saw tattoos identifying him (Avila) as a member of a street gang, but I want to emphasize this murder was not gang-related," Ronca told Superior Court Judge Patricia LeBon.
Ronca did not identify the gang.
He also said a number of eyewitnesses who knew the defendant can place him at the scene of the crime, adding to other evidence in what the prosecutor considers a strong case against him.
Speaking through a court interpreter, Avila asked for a court-appointed lawyer to represent him but made no other comment and kept his head down during his court appearance via closed circuit television from the jail. He is charged with murder, aggravated assault and illegal possession of a firearm.
Parra's family members began to cry during the proceeding and were cautioned by a sheriff's officer not to disrupt the court proceedings. They made no comment afterward.
Ronca said Avila was charged previously with a creating a false public alarm and was free on $5,000 bail that had been set July 11 by Superior Court Judge James Morley. However, Ronca had no details of the earlier arrest.
LeBon granted Ronca's request to keep bail high after he said Avila was a flight risk mainly because of his illegal status in the U.S. and the earlier arrest.

Illegal teen gets away with murder of newborn

Murder charges to be dropped against teen accused of killing her newborn
Fernando del Valle (Valley Morning Star)
September 4, 2007 - 8:44PMRAYMONDVILLE — A judge Tuesday said he will dismiss a case against an 18-year-old woman charged in the capital murder of her newborn baby, because Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra failed to present evidence in a hearing. Justice of the Peace Juan Silva said he will dismiss the case against Wendy Gill after Guerra, who did not appear for the hearing, wrote a letter requesting the charges be dropped. “I had no choice,” Silva said after the hearing to determine whether there was evidence to arrest Gill. “I wasn’t too happy about it.” Guerra said after the proceedings that the law did not require him to appear for the hearing, because he was not presenting evidence. “The state will not introduce evidence at this time. Therefore, the state is hereby requesting the charges against Wendy Monserrat Gill be dismissed,” Guerra wrote in the letter. The case will be presented to a grand jury that will determine whether there is evidence to indict Gill, the letter says. Gill remained in the county jail Tuesday afternoon, where she has been held in lieu of $1 million bond on charges that she murdered her infant on June 3. Investigators said Gill wrapped the baby in towels after giving birth to him in the bathroom of the family’s Lyford home. Guerra’s request for dismissal of the charges shocked Sheriff Larry Spence, whose deputies investigated the case, leading to Gill’s confession that she smothered the infant to hide her pregnancy. In that confession, she said her mother had threatened to kick her out of the house if she became pregnant a second time. Gill has an 18-month-old daughter. “I’m baffled,” Spence said. “Putting (Gill) on the street right now is probably not in the best interest of the case or in her best interest.” Silva said he warned defense attorney Annette Hinojosa that Gill, a Mexican citizen, could flee the country. The justice of the peace had previously refused requests by Guerra to dismiss the charges against Gill and to reduce her bail to $5,000 so she could be released on bond for psychiatric evaluation at a state hospital. “They did not want to be responsible for a capital murder suspect,” Guerra said of the hospital. However, the dismissal of the murder charge would allow Gill to get that evaluation, he said. The district attorney said he feared for Gill’s welfare after jail officials put her on a suicide watch last month. Gill is now “doing fine” in jail, Spence said. Guerra said the psychiatric evaluation issue wasn’t the only factor in his decision to request the charges be dismissed. He also said he hadn’t had time to adequately review the case after receiving it about two weeks ago. The state attorney general’s office was handling the case until Guerra asked its three prosecutors to leave his office last month, Spence said. Guerra also said he could not present the case to a grand jury Friday after foreman Tommy Rains asked state District Judge Migdalia Lopez to meet with jurors without Guerra in the courtroom.

TX Another attempted kidnapping

Men are suspects in 3 kidnap attempts
By DEANNA BOYDStar-Telegram staff writer
FORT WORTH -- The man repeated his demand over and over: "Come with me now."
But Naomi Ayala, 22, wasn't about to budge.
The former Texas Christian University student had just pulled into the driveway of her Arlington Heights home about 2:30 a.m. Saturday after a night in downtown Fort Worth with her cousin when two men -- one armed with what may have been a straight-edged razor -- tried to kidnap her, police say.
With her boyfriend's help, she got away.
But police don't believe it was the men's last attempt -- or their first -- to kidnap a woman.
Two men jailed after another woman's attempted kidnapping 30 minutes later near the TCU campus are also suspects in Ayala's attack and that of a 22-year-old woman Aug. 19.
"It was crime of opportunities," said major case Sgt. J.D. Moore. "They were out to kidnap a woman, but they didn't plan it out very well."
Jose Alberto Chavollo, 19, and Victor Garcia, 23, remained in Mansfield Jail on Tuesday. Chavollo faces charges of aggravated kidnapping, evading arrest and possession of a controlled substance and was being held with bail set at $31,000. Garcia faces a charge of aggravated kidnapping and was being held with bail set at $100,000.
Police say both men are believed to be illegal immigrants and also face immigration holds.
Here's a recap of the attempted kidnappings:
First attack
The 22-year-old victim told police that she was getting out of her car in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 3000 block of McPherson Avenue about 3 a.m. Aug 19 when she was approached by three men. The woman told investigators that she bit one man's hand as he tried to cover her mouth and kicked the face of one of the two others as they tried to grab her legs.
The woman told police that the men fled in a black sport utility vehicle, possibly a Chevrolet Tahoe. Moore said police are still trying to determine the identity of the third man.
Second attack
Ayala said she believes that she never noticed the black Tahoe trailing or parking outside her house off Montgomery Street in Arlington Heights as she returned home about 2:30 a.m. Saturday because its lights were off. But she couldn't miss the glint of what appeared to be a knife or straight-edge razor in the stranger's left hand as she opened her driver's side door to hear the man's order her to come with him.
"I knew my boyfriend Chris [Crawford] was inside so I just started screaming 'Chris!'" Ayala said Tuesday. "Every time I yelled Chris' name, he came closer to my neck with the knife."
Crawford, 26, emerged from the house to see the man attacking Ayala while a second man apparently stood guard at the passenger door. The two men fled toward their Tahoe, which was parked in the street.
"Chris went to the passenger door, opened it and grabbed one of them by their lapel and tried to pull him out," Ayala said. "By the time he was doing that, the other guy was stomping on the gas. He couldn't get a good enough grip to get him out of the car before they drove off."
Ayala, who has a knack for remembering numbers, focused on the Tahoe's license plate, which she gave to police.
"Chris is kind of the hero," Ayala said. "He saved the day."
Third attack
About 30 minutes after Ayala's attack, a 21-year-old woman was walking ahead of a group of friends in the TCU area when she was confronted by two men in the parking lot of Little Caesars pizza in the 3100 block of Greene Avenue. The men demanded money.
When the woman told the two men she did not have any money, one of the men grabbed her cellphone and pushed her against a railing, according to Garcia's arrest warrant affidavit.
As the woman kicked and swung her arms, the men grabbed her and dragged her toward their Chevrolet Tahoe.
Fearing for her life, the she fell backward on the pavement, where one of the men then struck her in the head twice with a metal flashlight.
A friend, walking up on the attack, ran to help, and the two suspects fled in the Tahoe. The friend also got the Tahoe's license plate number -- the same as reported by Ayala.
The girl was treated at Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital for her injuries.
"They were getting more violent as they progressed," Moore said. "I think they would have eventually done worse."
About 45 minutes later, officer T. Shelton saw the Tahoe headed west on West Vickery Boulevard. Chavollo was arrested after a short vehicle and foot pursuit.
Inside the Tahoe's glove box, police found a flashlight with blood on it, said Lt. Dean Sullivan, a police spokesman.
Police said Garcia escaped but was arrested that night in the 6800 block of Chickering Road.

LA - 14 year old raped by illegal

An illegal immigrant was arrested in Bossier City over the weekend after being pulled over during a traffic stop.Victor Hugo Valdivias, 18, of Monroe, faces a variety of charges including carnal knowledge of a juvenile, said Bossier sheriff spokesman Ed Baswell. Deputies stopped Valdivias Sunday morning, near the intersection of state Highway 527 and Willis Road. He didn’t speak English, didn’t have a driver’s license and had a 14-year-old female in the vehicle. The female told deputies she had sneaked out of her house in Monroe to meet Valdivias, who took her to a motel in Bossier City and had sexual intercourse with her, Baswell said. Valdivias had no identification and is believed to be a citizen of Mexico, having entered the United States illegally.He was booked into the Bossier Maximum Security Facility on charges of carnal knowledge of a juvenile, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, operating a vehicle without lawful presence in the United States, switched tags and resisting an officer, Baswell said. His bond is set at $53,600.

Lousy timing prevents another anchor baby (ha ha ha!)

Nace bebé en la fila de autos hacia El Paso (Baby born in the line of cars heading into El Paso)
Una mujer de 26 años de edad dio a luz a una niña la mañana de ayer mientras hacía fila a bordo de un vehículo para cruzar a El Paso por el puente internacional Córdova-Américas (Libre), informó el Departamento de Rescate Municipal.

A 26 year old woman gave birth to a girl yesterday morning while waiting to cross into the USA.

--- Whew!! That was close! We just missed out on another lifelong welfare family --- I guess there will be a next time -- in another 9 months or so.
Obviously this woman wasn't coming over to do any hard work she waited too long in her pregnancy to head over.
Most Mexican women know better -- they come over at least a couple weeks before the due date. (1 image)

WI - Illegal messes with 8 year old boy

Illegal immigrant arrested for alleged sexual contact with boy, 8
Sheboygan Press staff September 2, 2007
A 41-year-old illegal immigrant was arrested Saturday for allegedly having sexual contact with an 8-year-old boy at a home on the city's south side, Sheboygan police said.

The incident was reported by the boy's mother about 3:45 a.m., soon after the assault is believed to have taken place, said Detective Matt Walsh.

The man, who police will ask prosecutors to charge with first-degree sexual assault, is the third illegal immigrant arrested for a felony offense in recent weeks.

Few details on the nature of the assault were available Saturday, but Walsh said police believe it is a one-time occurrence. He said the boy's mother suspected something had happened and called police after confirming it with her son.

The man was a friend of the boy's family and is believed to have been living in Sheboygan about six months, Walsh said.

In other recent cases, illegal immigrant Eddie Carbajal-Lile, 27, has been charged with causing a fatal crash that killed a Port Washington teen on Aug. 14, and 17-year-old Martin L. Gamez — whose immigration status is being questioned by federal authorities — was charged Friday with sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl on Aug. 16.

Another illegal immigrant, Mauro Cisneros, 33, was arrested Aug. 20 for a traffic violation and police discovered he was a twice-deported felon with previous arrests for drug dealing, kidnapping, burglary and robbery.

FL -Illegal murders transgender

A man whom friends say identified and lived as a woman was shot and killed outside a restaurant that police say was illegally operating as a nightclub. Police are not investigating the murder as a hate crime. Oscar Mosqueda, 34, was shot in the head early July 29 in the parking lot of Pasta Amore, a local restaurant hosting “Disco Garibaldi,” one of four club nights held at the restaurant. Mosqueda died at Halifax Hospital several hours later. Villazano told police that following an argument with Mosqueda outside the club, he fired a handgun two times in the air before pointing it at Mosqueda and firing once more, hitting the victim on the right side of his head. Villazano, who has two outstanding warrants for failing to appear in court on charges of driving without a valid license, also told police he is in the U.S. illegally. He has been charged with second-degree murder and is being held without bail.According to news reports, police arriving on the scene thought Mosqueda was a woman because he was wearing high heels and a mini-skirt the night of the shooting. Equality Florida spokesman Brian Winfield said the victim’s friends told him that Mosqueda identified as Thalia and was transitioning to become a woman. “The majority of the females who attend the club are transgender,” he said. “What seems clear was that this was a hateful attack on a member of the trans community, a group that is already victims of various forms of discrimination across the board. We will continue to gather information from the community and work to ensure this case is properly investigated and that appropriate charges are brought,” said Winfield. “We will not allow yet another brutal murder apparently spurred by bigotry to go ignored. We think this is an opportunity to focus on the fact that transgender people are not included in Florida’s hate crimes statute. This is proof positive for adding gender identity and expression to Florida’s hate crimes statute.” Two men have been charged in connection with the killing. According to police reports, Mosqueda was shot by Cesar Villazano, 18, who told police he wasn’t gay and was very upset because the victim grabbed his penis in the club and embarrassed him.

3 illegals behaving badly to be deported

PITTSBURGH Two Honduran men who had apparently been living in North Carolina attacked a Mexican man at a campground in Pennsylvania over the weekend, prompting police to arrest all three men because they were in the country illegally.Carlos Reyes-Suazo, 31, stabbed Jose Vazquez-Andreas, 23, in the temple at Buckaloons Campground on Sunday after a second man, Efrain Hernandez-Rivera, 31, harassed the victim over his ethnicity and also tried to stab him, state police said.Vazquez-Andreas, who also had been living in North Carolina, was treated at Warren General Hospital for a severe cut and released.An investigation showed the men were in the United States illegally. State troopers contacted immigration authorities, who said they would begin deportation proceedings.

DFW - Illegal rapes neighbor

The Dallas Fort Worth Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team needs help catching a suspect who has just made it to their most wanted list.Police said Sergio Morales raped and beat one of his neighbors, a woman who lived in the same northeast Dallas apartment complex on Ferguson Road.According to reports, Morales was angry the woman did not respond to his advances. On Aug. 11 he allegedly forced his way into her apartment to beat and rape her."He struck her several times in the face and on the body. He even used an object to strike her," said DFW FAST's Det. Kurt Hibbets.Morales is in the country illegally. He has family in Dallas, Austin and Mexico.Anyone with information about Morales is encouraged to call police and leave a voice mail message at 214-807-0014. Tipsters can leave a message and do not have to leave their name.

Victorville - Illegal uncle rapes 3 year old

3-year-old raped by uncle, officials say
KATHERINE ROSENBERG
August 30, 2007 - 11:14PMVICTORVILLE — A 3-year-old girl was found abused and bleeding Thursday night, and officials have arrested her uncle, an illegal alien, for child molestation. Salvador Luna, 29, who was previously deported, was arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse of a child and was taken to the Victorville sheriff’s station where he underwent a physical examination, said Detective Ryan Collins. The victim was originally admitted to Victor Valley Community Hospital around 7 p.m. after her mother found the girl bleeding inside their home on Rockrose Street, said Detective Sgt. Bob Hughes. “Her injuries were significant enough that she had to be admitted,” Hughes said. Around 6:30 p.m. the mother, father, the 3-year-old and her siblings were watching television in the parent’s room, a few doors down from where Luna was staying, Hughes said. The girl went to Luna’s room for a piece of candy, and when she returned, a sibling took the candy from her, authorities explained. The girl again went into Luna’s room, hoping to replace the stolen sweets. “She is in the uncle’s room for a while this time, long enough for mom to wonder where she was,” Hughes said. “When mom found the child she could see that she was visibly upset. Mom picks her up and when she put her down, now there’s blood all over mom’s shirt.” The woman took the child to a neighboring home where the resident was a nurse to have the girl checked out. The nurse immediately dialed 911 and advised the family to stay away from the home until authorities arrived, said Karen Hunt, spokeswoman for the Victorville station. Officials arrived at the home and had Luna in custody in under five minutes, Hughes said. Luna had apparently changed clothes by the time officials arrived, so the home was closed off and searched for physical evidence, Hughes said. In 2000, Luna was arrested in Ventura County on suspicion of annoying or molesting a child and sexual assault, said Detective John Wickum. It is unknown whether Luna was convicted, but the family said he was deported shortly after, officials confirmed. “His criminal history drops off in 2001,and he re-surfaces again in 2006 with a DUI arrest in Victorville,” Wickum said. Additional information came in that there could be as many as four other family members who have been past victims, but that remained under investigation on Friday, officials said. Results of medical examinations on both the victim and Luna are still outstanding, but authorities believe they might shed additional light on the case. “This is like the smoking gun of molestation cases. There are so many reports and investigations where it can take months to get to the bottom of things. It’s rare to catch something in progress and be able to respond and arrest the suspect immediately,” Wickum said. Anyone who may have information about Luna is asked to contact the Detective Bureau at the Victorville station at 241-2911. Luna is being held at the Victor Valley Jail on $250,000 bail, officials said.

Phoenix - Attempted Rape at Fry's

A man in the country illegally is arrested for attempted sexual assault
Javier Ramos has admitted his involvment in the incident and that he is an illegal alien.
Friday, August 31, 2007
On Thursday August 30 at about 5:20 pm a 13 year old girl was shopping at Fry's at 74th Avenue and Cactus with her father. As she was coming out of the ladies' room in the store Javier Ramos has admitted to police he forced his way in to the ladies' room, grabbed the girl and forced her to the floor. Several people heard her screams and when they opened the door the suspect ran out being followed by several of the witnesses. One of the witnesses caught up to Ramos as he tried to enter his car, a scuffle ensued, and Ramos escaped after assaulting the man by kicking him in the stomach. Ramos continued on foot and remained within the perimeter we had set up. He attempted to evade officers by approaching homes in the area asking for work, but a citizen who recognized him from the incident grabbed Ramos and held him until police officers arrived.
Ramos was booked for kidnapping, attempted sexual misconduct with a minor, aggravated assault on a minor, and for an outstanding warrant on the driving on suspended.
Ramos also admitted to police he is in the country illegally.

Charlotte - Illegal teen on crime spree

Police: Illegal Immigrant, Gang Member Charged In Crimes Across Region
POSTED: 4:04 pm EDT August 30, 2007
CONCORD, N.C. -- Police have arrested a man they believe was involved in a series of robberies across the region.
Perfecto Rios, 17, is charged with five counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon, one count of first-degree rape and one count of first-degree kidnapping.
Investigators say he and another man are responsible for two robberies at Hispanic-owned businesses in Concord late Monday. They say Rios raped a female store clerk during one of the armed robberies.
Police said Rios will also face charges for over a dozen crimes committed in Charlotte, Concord, Huntersville and Kannapolis.
Authorities said they identified Rios as an illegal immigrant and a member of a local gang. He was taken into custody by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force.
Police expect to make more arrests soon.

MI- Off duty cop killed by drunk illegal

Of The Oakland Press The man accused of being drunk behind the wheel of a sports car that killed a Flint police officer was arraigned Tuesday on charges that included second-degree murder.
Ramon Felix Pineda stood mute in 52-2 District Court before Judge Kelley Kostin, who denied bond based on the severity of the charges and his status as an illegal resident of the United States. "I don't find any comfort the bond would give Mr. Pineda the conviction to show in court," Kostin said.
Pineda is alleged to have been illegally living in the United States for the last 10 years under false identities, including a cousin who lives in Mexico. He is being charged with seconddegree murder, operating while intoxicated causing death, leaving the scene of an accident causing death and driving with a suspended license.
Second-degree murder carries a maximum of life in prison, while operating while intoxicated causing death is a 15-year felony.
Officials with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have also been informed of Pineda's illegal citizen status.
The 25-year-old is accused of being behind the wheel of the 1992 Chevrolet Camaro that hit off-duty Officer Vincent Owen D'Anna about 8 p.m. Sunday on Sashabaw Road, just past Clarkston Road.
According to witness statements, the Camaro was heading south on Sashabaw Road and hit D'Anna from behind.
D'Anna was driving a 2007 Suzuki motorcycle and became pinned under the car.
The Camaro continued heading south after the collision, dragging D'Anna several feet, according to witnesses.
Oakland County Sheriff 's deputies say Pineda got out of the Camaro and tried to run away, but a witness stopped him.
Oakland County Sheriff 's Lt. James Ahearn told the court Pineda admitted to drinking seven beers before getting behind the wheel of the Camaro and was driving too fast to slow down.
Ahearn also told the court Pineda gave them several false identities. Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor Kelly Chard said Pineda has two bench warrants out of that district court dating back to 2001, stemming from traffic violations.
Pineda has also never applied for a driver's license, and there were at least 16 witnesses who saw him hit D'Anna, Chard said.
"I think the only way to protect society is to deny bond," she told the court.
Defense attorney Arthur Greenstone asked for leniency on the bond, saying Pineda and his family are heartbroken over what happened.
Pineda didn't mean to hurt anyone, but only wanted to run from the scene because of his illegal resident status, Greenstone told the court.
He has also been employed for the last five years as a cook at a Clarkston restaurant, Greenstone said. Members of D'Anna's family left the courtroom as Greenstone continued to ask for leniency on setting his bond.
"His 1-year-old son and his wife are here. É It appears this is a one-time incident, and it is awful, but there is no history of substance abuse or violence," Greenstone told the court. "If you scratch this catastrophe, you will find someone who has been a productive member of this community."

Attempted kidnapping in Tx

Attempted Kidnapping
Aug 27, 2007 08:40 PM PDT
reported by Ray Pedraza
A 5 year old McAllen girl is safe tonight after being kidnapped early this morning, through a bedroom window.
Luckily, the girl's mom caught Jorge Alberto Escobar in the act. Family members tackled Escobar and he was arrested by police down the street.
The girl was not harmed.
The kidnapping happened shortly after midnight on the 600 block of Kennedy Avenue, in south McAllen.
Family members were unavailable for comment. But, neigbors say they are relieved that the intruder has been arrested.
"Oh. well yeah. We don't need any pervert, around here," said Jerry Harris. "And that's pretty brazen to go into someone's window and grab ahold of them like that."
Turns out Escobar is someone the family knows. Escobar is an illegal immigrant who was living in an adjoining room and who worked with the victim's father.
He's charged with aggravated kidnapping and his bond is set at half a million dollars.
The case remains under investigation

April rape in Syracuse by illegal

Syracuse Police Searching for Man Accused of Raping 11-Year-Old GirlApril 9, 2007

Samantha Hayes Reporting
Syracuse police say they have enough evidence to charge Benito Martinez with first-degree rape, but they have to find him. The suspect has been missing since the incident happened early Saturday morning.
Police say he was renting a room in a house where other families were living, including the 11-year-old victim. Police say the 11-year-old girl and the suspect did not know each other, aside from the fact they lived under the same roof. Twenty-two-year-old Benito Martinez was renting a room in the house and carpooled to various construction jobs with others also renting there.

Police were called to the home early Saturday morning around 1:45. "He apparently went into the 11-year-old's room and sexually assaulted her. I don't know at which point it was interrupted, but it was interrupted by someone who mentioned they would call the cops, and he left the house," says Lt. Tracy Jensen of the Syracuse Police Department. Martinez has not returned since.
Police say he is in the country illegally. He has been living in Syracuse for the last six months. They are concerned he may try to escape charges in Mexico. Jensen says the family of the victim reported the crime right away and have been helpful to police.
Charges include first-degree felony rape of a child, first-degree felony sodomy of a child and first-degree felony aggravated sexual assault of a child. Bond is set for $200,000.
Martinez, who works in the construction field, is described as 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, with brown eyes and black hair.

July rape of minor

Man accused of rape hours after he left jail
Associated PressOriginally published 12:49 p.m., July 4, 2007Updated 12:49 p.m., July 4, 2007

COLUMBIA, Tenn. - Maury County deputies and federal agents are looking for a man who is accused of raping a 15-year-old girl only hours after being released from jail.
Juan Villa, 24, has been in the Maury County Jail 11 times since 2001 on charges of assault, public intoxication, driving without a license and contempt of court.
He was released from jail on $1,000 bail on Friday at about 9:45 p.m. and is suspected of raping the 15-year-old shortly after midnight. During the investigation, a 13-year-old girl also told deputies she was raped by Villa, Sheriff Enoch George said.
Detective Jerry Williams said Villa knew the 15-year-old but the two were not close.
Villa is suspected of being in the country illegally and George said the department had contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement about him before he was released from jail but the federal agents said they would deal with him later.
"It is very frustrating," George said.
While searching for Villa at a mobile home park on Tuesday, authorities rounded up at least 13 people they believe are illegal immigrants.
The sheriff's department has detained about 80 illegal immigrants since May, including 25 in a single day. The arrests have prompted some immigrant rights group to accuse the department of racial profiling.
George defended the actions, saying the immigrants who were detained were encountered during criminal investigations.
"If they are here and they are trying to support their family, they are still here illegally," he said. "They are still here violating the law."
The sheriff said he will continue to work with federal immigration agents, but he also wants to enroll in a federal program that trains deputies to determine whether arrestees are illegally in the country.

Illegal juvie rapist

Cottage School teen charged with rape is undocumented Guatemalan

By SHAWN COHENTHE JOURNAL NEWS(Original Publication: July 6, 2007) MOUNT PLEASANT -
A 15-year-old Pleasantville Cottage School resident charged with raping an 18-year-old female resident is a Guatemalan native with no known family ties in the United States who was found wandering the streets of New York City, police said.
"He is apparently in this country with no documentation, no family, no nothing as far as we are able to determine at this time," Mount Pleasant Lt. Brian Fanelli said.
Luis Flores was arraigned today on a felony charge of first-degree rape. Police say he came up behind the 18-year-old victim as she was walking up the campus driveway and threatened to set her on fire with a lit cigarette lighter unless she went with him into the woods. She did and police say Flores forcibly raped her there and then let her go.
Fanelli said Flores has been in trouble with police before but would not elaborate.
"We've definitely dealt with him on the campus several times since 2006," Fanelli said.
After being found walking the streets, Flores entered the court system and wound up at the residential treatment center for troubled children, Fanelli said. Police are working with Immigration Customs Enforcement, he said, to try to confirm his identity and age.
Jane Barowitz, spokeswoman for the Jewish Child Care Association, which oversees the Pleasantville Cottage School, declined to comment this afternoon on the investigation other than to say "we are distressed about this alleged assault, we have notified the police and are cooperating fully in the investigation. Our primary concern is the safety of the children, staff and community."
The alleged rape occurred between 7:30 and 8 p.m Thursday and was reported to police around 8:30 p.m. by a staff member of the campus' Edenwald Center. The victim was treated and released from Westchester Medical Center.
Flores was brought in late last night for questioning and formally arrested and charged at 3 a.m. today, police said. He was remanded to the Woodfield Cottage Detention Center, part of the Westchester County complex in Valhalla.
The assault was the latest in a string of sex crimes involving residents of two local residential treatment centers.
In March, a 12-year-old boy was accused of sexually assaulting another 12-year-old boy at the Pleasantville Cottage School. At the time, police had complained that officials there failed to notify the department of the incident. Instead, Mount Pleasant police were tipped off nearly four hours later by the Child Advocacy Center in Valhalla after the boy was taken to the Westchester Medical Center.
That incident came less than two weeks after officials at Hawthorne Cedar Knolls, another treatment center nearby, waited more than two hours to report an alleged gang-rape there. Three teenagers there were accused of beating and raping a 13-year-old girl after dragging her into a vacant building on that campus.

Illegal murderer not good samaritan

Police: Men planned S.J. slaying
UNSEALED DOCUMENTS SAY PAIR CONFESSED
By Sean WebbyMercury NewsSan Jose Mercury News
Article Launched:08/25/2007 01:34:38 AM PDT
Still covered in blood, the homeless man told police a heroic story of how he had tried to save a woman as she was being attacked. Julio Jovel had called 911 on a woman's dropped cell phone as she was being assaulted and even tried to carry her away to safety.
But Jovel was no good Samaritan. He was, according to prosecutors and police, a killer responsible for one of the city's most vicious violent crimes in years.
Soon after he was arrested, Jovel and another transient confessed in gruesome detail to San Jose detectives to raping and stabbing to death a 46-year-old woman last month, according to court documents unsealed Friday.
Jovel, 30, and Luis Alvarado, 18, - who were in the country illegally but had no serious criminal records - are facing a potential death sentence for their alleged homicidal attack on San Jose resident Sany San. No trial date has yet been set.
Their attorneys could not be reached for comment.
The details of the high-profile homicide came out Friday, weeks after prosecutors sealed a key filing in the case and defense attorneys argued all but the most basic documents in the case should be kept secret.
Acting on a suit filed by the Mercury News, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Jean High Wetenkamp ruled earlier this week that the documents ought to be public, rejecting arguments that they might endanger the defendants' right to a fair trial.
"More than anything, it's a release that we know the truth," said San's cousin, Darrarith Kim, of San Jose. "It concludes. It gives us an answer."
However disturbing the details of his cousin's death may be, Kim said he'd prefer to know than not.
"I want to know the truth," he said.
But Darrarith Kim's view diverges from that of his sister, Ratana Kim, who objected to efforts by the Mercury News to unseal charging documents that detail the crime.
In an e-mail to the Mercury News this week, Ratana Kim said the Mercury News is "no longer alleviating the pain of this destruction in our lives, but rather contributing to this nightmare."
Inconsistent story
Police first learned of the killing from one of the suspects, according to court documents written by San Jose homicide detective Brian Ferrante.
Jovel called 911 to say that a woman was being attacked on Story Road, according to the documents.
Three men had just dragged her into the bushes, he told police.
Jovel said he tried to help her, picking her up before being chased away by "the suspect."
Jovel told police that he made his way back to her body, picked up her cell phone and called police.
Detectives suspected Jovel was lying almost right away, according to the documents.
For one thing, San seemed to have been dead for longer than the 17 minutes that elapsed between the 911 call and when police found her.
Detectives also discovered that several other calls had been made on San's cell phone. The first call was made around 5:18 a.m. - more than an hour before Jovel called police, according to the documents.
A homeowner who said she allowed Jovel to sleep in her garage later confirmed Jovel had called her around that time.
Alleged confession
When being interviewed by detective Thomas Morales, Jovel waived his Miranda rights to be silent or have a lawyer present. He told Morales that he had gone to that area to catch a No. 77 bus. Morales confronted Jovel with his inconsistencies and pointed out that the 77 bus does not run that early in the morning.
Jovel, the documents say, then confessed.
A day later, police caught Alvarado and he also confessed.
Their story is as cold-blooded as it is horrific.
The two men had planned the attack the night before as they smoked methamphetamine in a homeless encampment, according to the documents.
"He stated that Lorenzo (Alvarado) said he wanted to rape a woman, kill her and give her soul to the devil," Ferrante wrote of an interview with Jovel.
Early that morning they spotted San and began walking with her along Story Road trying to talk with her. Then they stabbed her in the stomach. She dropped her purse and cell phone and ran. The men followed, snapping up her purse and cell phone as they chased her, and stabbed her again.
They chased her into the bushes along the side of the road. And there, they raped and stabbed her over and over, according to the documents.
Jovel allegedly told police the attack lasted about 30 minutes.
He said he went back to the homeless encampment and told a man there what he had done.
That man later told police that Jovel had wakened him that morning to show him his bloody hands. He had just killed a woman, he told the man, according to the documents.
Alvarado said afterward that he dumped his bloody T-shirt in a dumpster behind a tire store, then went to a nearby home where he washed the blood off his shoes with a garden hose.

Toddler kicked to death by illegal

Illegal Immigrant Charged In Child’s Death
KOTV - 8/22/2007 8:16 PM - Updated 8/23/2007 6:16 AM
Charges are filed in the kicking death of a Coweta toddler. Michael Hernandez was in a Wagoner County district court Wednesday, facing first degree murder charges. He's accused of kicking his girlfriend's 2-year-old son to death. A judge denied Hernandez bond, but the victim's family is concerned his immigration status could change that, because he’s here illegally from Mexico. The News On 6’s Ashli Sims reports the victim's grandmother says she's worried he might be sent back to Mexico before justice can be served.
Kelynn Byrd's grandmother says burying her 2-year-old grandson was the hardest thing she ever had to do.
"He is, he's very beautiful and he was so sweet," said Kelynn’s grandmother Michelle Ebel.
The toddler's life was cut short when he died from blunt chest and abdominal trauma. Police say his mother's boyfriend, Michael Hernandez, was the only one home at the time of the boy's injury. And they say Hernandez confessed to repeatedly kicking Kelynn in the chest.
"Whatever kind of anger that can lead up to someone doing that to a 2-and-a-half-year-old boy is just beyond me," said Ebel.
Hernandez is charged with first degree murder and is now behind bars in the Wagoner County jail. The judge in the case contacted the Mexican consulate, because Hernandez is a Mexican citizen, here illegally. Kelynn's family is afraid that Hernandez could be sent back to Mexico before the American legal system can run its course.
A spokesperson from the Wagoner County district attorney's office told The News On 6 they would fight any extradition or deportation. He says they plan on proceeding to a conviction, and if Hernandez is convicted they intend for him to serve his sentence in Oklahoma.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, confirms that illegal immigrants would go through the same criminal justice process as anyone else. ICE says they do flag illegal immigrants in state custody, so if they're eligible for bond, they're released into ICE custody instead of back into the community. ICE also added if Hernandez was tried and convicted for the murder of Kelynn Byrd he would serve his sentence first, and then be deported back to Mexico.
Michael Hernandez will be back in court next month for a preliminary hearing.

Another grandma killed trying to stop grafitti

A Hesperia resident is the second Southland victim in two weeks to be killed in a confrontation over tagging. By Jonathan Abrams, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer August 25, 2007 A 65-year-old Hesperia woman was shot and killed Thursday evening after she and family members confronted taggers spray-painting graffiti on their apartment wall and trash cans. Authorities arrested the alleged triggerman, Ricardo Real, 19, of Hesperia, Friday afternoon on suspicion of murder and were searching for at least three other suspects, said San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Jodi Miller. The shooting comes two weeks after a 57-year-old Pico Rivera woman was gunned down after she tried to stop taggers from spray-painting graffiti in her neighborhood, a slaying that outraged surrounding communities. Law enforcement authorities across Southern California say they are seeing an increase in violence related to tagging associated with street gangs. Seutatia Tausili of Hesperia was shot about 8:30 p.m. Thursday after she and other family members approached several people spray-painting their apartment complex on First Avenue. An argument turned into a fight, Miller said. "All we wanted to know is why they were doing it," said Vasa Ptnesapele, Tausili's grandson, who said he was among the family members who approached the taggers. "My grandmother was letting them know we were going to call the police. A couple of them started mouthing off to our grandmother. They wanted to fight and it turned into self- defense. Next thing we know, we hear six shots." Vaovasa Penu, another of Tausili's grandsons, was shot in the leg during the incident. He was treated and released from Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. Tausili, who suffered a single gunshot wound to the chest, died about an hour later at Desert Valley Hospital in Victorville, Miller said. "She was always there," Ptnesapele said. "She was everything a person could ask for. She took care of us. "She was the heart of the family." Ptnesapele said the taggers had recently moved into the area from Los Angeles and lived on the other side of the apartment complex. "Tagging is an issue almost everywhere," Miller said. "You can drive down the street and see multiple taggings in most areas. In this particular area, there has been tagging before." San Bernardino County has witnessed a sharp uptick in graffiti over the last decade, especially in the high desert, as its population and the number of street gang members has grown. Miller said that because the incident occurred in the early evening, people were around to confront the taggers. "A lot of times, it happens at night when most people are sleeping," she said. "This was going on when people were awake and able to go out and approach them." San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department homicide investigators arrested Real after he was located by a multi-agency high desert gang task force, which used the graffiti to help identify gang members associated with the incident. "Homicide detectives had been out there all night," Miller said. "Through the investigation, they were able to determine Real as the likely triggerman and arrest him." Two weeks ago in Pico Rivera, Maria Hicks was on her way home when she was killed after confronting taggers in her neighborhood. Four suspected gang members were charged with murder in that case.

Another illegal rapes child

Woman, Son Hold Man Accused Of Raping Girl
Mother Interrupted Assault In Child's Bedroom, Police Say
POSTED: 1:23 pm EDT August 24, 2007
UPDATED: 6:20 pm EDT August 24, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS -- Police said a woman interrupted a 19-year-old man's rape of her 5-year-old daughter and, with the help of her son, held him in her home until officers arrived early Friday morning.
According to police, Jesus Valenzuela (pictured) entered the home, located in the 6000 block of Sunwood Drive on the city's northwest side, and raped the girl in her bedroom.
The girl's mother told police that she awoke at about 4:30 a.m. and found the home's patio door open. When she went to check on her children, she found Valenzuela raping the 5-year-old, police said.

Police said the woman pulled Valenzuela off her daughter and yelled for help from her 13-year-old daughter, who was asleep in the same bedroom, and her 18-year-old son, who also was asleep in the home.
The 13-year-old called 911, and the son arrived to help his mother, police said.
"Of course, the suspect is trying to get away. The 18-year-old son arrives, and they're able to subdue (Valenzuela) and hold him there for the police to come and get," Indianapolis police Sgt. Matt Mount said.
Police said Valenzuela refused to answer investigators' questions, 6News' Jack Rinehart reported. They said he is a Mexican national who may be in the U.S. illegally.
Authorities said they found property that belonged to the children in Valenzuela's pockets.
Police said that in the home, they found items that they believe Valenzuela dropped after stealing them from a vehicle down the street.
He was being held Friday on felony charges of child molestation and burglary, police said.

Another Drunk Illegal Murderer

Family's death puts new focus on those here illegallySuspect in fatal fiery wreck had been through the courts before

By SUSAN CARROLL Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Felinda Williams couldn't make herself go to court on a recent morning, couldn't bring herself to look at the man accused of driving drunk and killing her daughter, her son-in-law and her 2-year-old grandson.
She knows few details of the Aug. 11 crash in Houston that killed the newlyweds and the little boy nicknamed "Peanut Butter." She does know that her daughter didn't die on impact. The young woman, according to reports, felt the flames and begged helpless bystanders to pull her free.
The grieving woman knows two things about Juan Felix Salinas, the man charged in connection with their deaths: She knows his name, and she knows he was in the U.S. illegally, out on bail after an earlier arrest.
"He's been through the courts and the jail before, and nobody caught it," Williams said. "If they'd caught it, he would have been in jail or deported, and then he wouldn't have been out there on the streets, and my babies would still be alive."
The deaths of Tenisha and S.J. Williams and Xavier Brown have once again focused attention on a controversial topic for law enforcement in Harris County and across the country — how to deal with illegal immigrants accused of crimes.
Police and sheriff's departments have struggled to balance outreach to victims and witnesses in immigrant communities with efforts to crack down on career criminals in the country illegally.
Arrested in MarchIn the past year, Harris County Sheriff's Office and Houston Police Department officials said they have increased their cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. But despite recent efforts, not all illegal immigrants who come into contact with law enforcement in Houston are referred to immigration authorities, which has frustrated some victims' advocates and proponents of stricter immigration controls.
Salinas, 41, was arrested in Jacinto City after allegedly shaking his wife violently on March 31. He escaped the attention of immigration officials by posting a "non-arrest" bond at the Harris County Jail, which some victim advocates have called a loophole for illegal immigrants.
Spurred by officer's deathFor years, HPD officials resisted pressure to ask suspects about their immigration status, arguing it would jeopardize their ability to get witnesses and victims in immigrant communities to come forward, for fear of deportation. The killing of HPD officer Rodney Johnson in September brought national attention to the policy, as details emerged about the suspected killer, Juan Quintero. The illegal immigrant, who is accused of shooting Johnson in the head during a traffic stop, was convicted of molesting a minor in 1998 and driving while intoxicated in 1995. He was deported in 1999.
After Johnson's death, HPD started referring cases to ICE, said Victor Senties, an HPD spokesman. But not everyone identified at a jail as an illegal immigrant is referred to immigration officials, according to the HPD fact sheet on the new policy. Under the guidelines, only people who are arrested and found to have outstanding immigration warrants or are previously deported felons would be referred to ICE. Gabe Ortiz, an HPD spokesman, added that "ICE does have full access to the jail facilities."
From Oct. 10, when the policy took effect, through July 31, HPD has referred 144 cases to ICE officials, according to HPD statistics.
Cases referred to ICEOfficials with the Harris County Sheriff's Office ask each inmate during the intake process about nationality and citizenship, said Sgt. D.M. Mackey.
More than 4,606 inmates admitted to being illegal immigrants and had their cases referred to ICE from August 2006 through August 2007, Mackey said. In the previous 18 months, the sheriff's office had identified 1,940 illegal immigrants in the jail.
Andy Kahan, director of the Mayor's Crime Victim's Office, questioned why local authorities don't refer all cases involving suspected illegal immigrants to ICE.
"We can't expect ICE and federal officials to act if we don't give them all of the information to act on," he said. "If we don't give them the tools to make a decision, we reap what we sow."
Distorted perception?Alison Parker, a senior researcher with Human Rights Watch, cautioned that the media attention surrounding high-profile crimes involving immigrants can sometimes distort public perception. Parker recently completed a study of immigrants convicted of crimes and deported under a 1996 immigration law.
"There are a lot of stories in the media that leave the public with the impression that there are lots of undocumented immigrants committing lots of very serious violent crimes, and those things occur, certainly, but they are overly represented in the press, and the reality is that there are lots of undocumented in the United States who don't commit crimes," Parker said.
Salinas, 41, from Nuevo Leon, Mexico, escaped the attention of immigration officials after being charged with assault and public intoxication in two separate incidents earlier this year.
On March 31, Salinas' wife called 911 and reported that he shook her "violently" during an argument.
He was charged in Harris County with family assault and paid a $1,500 "non-arrest" bond. They are issued only on cases in which a warrant has been issued and a bond has been set, a Houston bail bondsman said. Paying the "non-arrest" bond allows a suspect to avoid going to jail, but is typically reserved for minor offenses.
'A sticky issue'Jacinto City Police Chief J.M. Ayala said his police department does not ask suspects about immigration status. "It's kind of a sticky issue," he said, and can lead to accusations of profiling.
Immigration officials have placed a hold on Salinas, so he won't be released without notice. He now faces three counts of intoxicated manslaughter, in addition to the earlier assault and public intoxication charges.
On Friday morning, Felinda Williams lit a candle in front of her daughter's high school portrait, where Tenisha smiled softly, her neck ringed with pearls. She was her only daughter, the middle child, 26 years old.
Tenisha and S.J. had just married at a little chapel not far from Williams' house on Melbourne. They caught that 7-7-07 craze, she said, and it was special, because it was S.J.'s birthday.
The baby, "Peanut Butter," would have turned 3 this past Monday. They were going to go to Sea World.
"She had everything that she wanted," Williams said. "She had a good husband who she loved, and who loved her, and he loved the baby. Everything was going good. She was just at a high point. The lottery couldn't get no better."
Williams said she's not yet ready to see Salinas.
"Once the trial starts, every time they have him in there, I'll be there, too," she said. "This man turned my world upside down, inside out."

Serial illegal rapist in Charlotte

Serial Rape Suspect Back in Mecklenburg County Custody
New information also tonight on this illegal immigrant believed to be a serial rapist in Charlotte.Jose Rivera is now back in custody in Mecklenburg County.He was being held in Georgia by immigration officials for the past month.Police think he raped three women in Dilworth over the past several years.

Rapist illegal sentenced

Courant.com
Rapist Sentenced To 20 Years
By DAN UHLINGER
The Hartford Courant
1:40 PM EDT, August 22, 2007

In a highly emotional court hearing today, a wheelchair-bound elderly woman from East Hartford, breathing from a portable oxygen tank, confronted her attacker at his sentencing on rape and other charges.Alejandro Cuyxum, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, pleaded for forgiveness before he was sentenced in Hartford Superior Court to 20 years in prison for beating and raping the 73-year-old woman in July 2005.Clasping her oxygen tube and staring at Cuyxum, the woman, who has lost the use of one arm, listened as Cuyxum, 26, said they were brother and sister in God's eyes.Cuyxum said he was truly sorry and was taking responsibility for his actions.The woman did not react.Comforted by her family members, the woman gave a statement to the court that told how Cuyxum had robbed her of everything important in life."This man has taken from my life much that was meaningful and provided enjoyment and satisfaction.The woman, who lived with her pet dog in an apartment on Main Street, has had to move into an assisted living center. As a result of the attack, she has lost the daily companionship of her dog, Peaches, and her close friends."I want him to be accountable," she said.