Patterico's Pontifications

9/7/2008

Deport the Criminals First: Immigration Hold Placed on Killer of Three-Year-Old Martin in Denver

Filed under: Crime,Deport the Criminals First,Immigration — Patterico @ 7:02 pm



We may have another case of an illegal, arrested on multiple occasions and never deported, causing the death of a small child. The Denver Post has stories here, here, here, and here. The second link summarizes the tragic event:

Three people — including a 2-year-old boy [he was actually three, according to a more recent article. — Ed.] sitting in an ice cream shop — were killed tonight after a collision sent a small pickup truck careening into the Baskin Robbins store at South Havana Street and East Mississipi Avenue.

Aurora Police said the driver responsible for the accident fled the scene but was caught. He is now in custody and being questioned.

The boy’s first name was Martin. Here is his picture:

More recent reports (including the third and fourth links above) say that immigration authorities have placed a hold on the suspect.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials sent a faxed detainer on Hernandez, 23, at 12:04 a.m. Saturday, indicating his U.S. citizenship is under question, according to Arapahoe County jail officials and federal authorities.

Hernandez has been arrested 16 times in five years in Colorado but apparently has never been deported, according to Colorado Bureau of Investigation records.

Here’s the whole sordid history:

Dating back to 2003, Hernandez has been arrested for mostly misdemeanor offenses 16 times by police officers in Denver, Longmont, Aurora, Westminster, Lakewood and Broomfield and sheriff’s deputies in Boulder, Gilpin and Arapahoe counties, according to Colorado Bureau of Investigation records. His charges have included forgery, assault, theft, fraud and driving under restraint.

Sopranuk said Friday that Hernandez was born in California and is a U.S. citizen.

But he added that detectives could find no indication that he had ever held a driver’s license in California or Colorado.

Also according to CBI records, Hernandez, who has 11 aliases and two listed birth dates, has four listed birth places, including Mexico.

ICE placed a detainer because of indications he was born outside the country, said ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok. Officers are currently investigating his citizenship, he said.

When ICE did not place a hold on Hernandez following his July 18 arrest, he was released and has since been listed as a fugitive, according to CBI records.

There were multiple warrants for his arrest when the fatal accident happened Thursday, Sopranuk said.

Sopranuk could not be reached for comment Saturday.

Rusnok said it is possible that if Hernandez is in the country illegally that his status was not checked or identified previously despite numerous arrests.

He said in some instances suspects are arrested for minor offenses and they are released on bail or serve short sentences before a citizenship check is done.

We’ll stay on top of this one.

UPDATE: More here from Michelle Malkin.

UPDATE x2: A new article claims that the man is likely not a citizen, but may not be an illegal immigrant:

A man accused of causing an accident that sent two cars careening into an ice cream shop, killing a 3-year-old boy and two women Thursday, likely is not a U.S. citizen, immigration officials said Sunday.

But it was unclear Sunday whether Francis Hernandez, 23, is an illegal immigrant. He could have another immigration status.

By the way, the child is three years old and not two, despite any suggestion by one of the earlier articles to the contrary. He had had a birthday recently, as one of the other links makes clear.

16 Responses to “Deport the Criminals First: Immigration Hold Placed on Killer of Three-Year-Old Martin in Denver”

  1. Aurora is on the eastern edge of the Denver metro area, the whole Denver metro area has a recurring problem with habitual drunk driving illegal alien criminals and this incident has a lot of people in the area quite furious about the continual failure of law enforcement to take effective action.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  2. …Hernandez, who has 11 aliases and two listed birth dates, has four listed birth places…

    Perhaps with the assistance of a ACORN community organizer.

    Perfect Sense (9d1b08)

  3. Well, Ok, he killed a small child and all, but are we sure we want to go and hurt the community’s feelings by deporting him?

    Remember, keeping families together is for the children. Just not Martin.

    Apogee (366e8b)

  4. The arrests date from when Hernandez was 18 so he might have a juvenile record, too.

    DRJ (7568a2)

  5. Also, the first link/quote said Martin was 2 but later there was a quote from his father indicating he was 3. He may have just turned 3 recently.

    DRJ (7568a2)

  6. I posted this on Michelle Malkin’s website (just thinking out loud):

    Someone with a set in DC (which is rare, by all accounts), needs to step up and cut off all funding for cities that have declared themselves “sanctuary cities”. If they want to welcome these people in, then the mayors and city councils need to foot the bill for all of their social programs.

    Here, one better…why not have the mayor and city councilmembers indited whenever one of there sanctuary seekers is charged with a felony? Make the accessories to whatever crime their special “citizen” has committed. I bet that would change a few points of view!

    fmfnavydoc (ba43d6)

  7. Real cases in Chicago:

    Illegal alien is stopped because of no valid registration or owner’s information over the police car PDT. He gets a ticket on his personal recognizance. U.S. citizen would have been arrested, made to post bail, and the car impounded and towed.

    Illegal alien, without driver’s license, driving employer’s car, gets into accident. No injuries. Police report contains only employer’s information. The driver may just as well not have existed.

    Sanctuary cities are deep in the tank for illegal aliens. Too many people who matter need their lawns trimmed, their houses cleaned and their kids baby-sitted.

    nk (21731d)

  8. Sadly, there’s one less kid to babysit in Denver.

    DRJ (7568a2)

  9. #6, California State Senator Tom McClintock is suggesting just that (in light of San Francisco),

    San Francisco’s status as a “sanctuary city” should mean a cutoff of federal funds, congressional candidate State Sen. Tom McClintock said Tuesday.

    A local government that actively works to undermine our nation’s security and sovereignty has no claim to our nation’s resources and support,” said McClintock, who made the statement in a speech in Sacramento during a rally by the Minutemen, a group concerned about illegal immigration and border security.

    Depending on the outcome of the election and as an increasing number of innocent people are killed by illegal aliens, we will not only see more of this but these politicians will receive greater support than ever before.

    Dana (084de8)

  10. This won’t change until large groups of citizens gather at City Hall to “…petition their government… to redress their grievances…”.

    I would like either the pitchfork/torch, or tar/feather concession.

    Another Drew (b60e19)

  11. AD, I listened to a commentator from SF radio and he said that his show has been consistently inundated with angry calls from citizens there who are sick and tired of the very few liberal elites making such devastating decisions. Also, after listening to Mrs. Bologna (widow and mother of the last 3 victims in SF), she too confirmed that there is a huge number of San Franciscans who support this move – unfortunately, as long as the Mark Morford(i.e. He’s a lightbearer!) types are reporting and writing columns in the locals, this will not get the print it deserves.

    Dana (084de8)

  12. We have an assault and murder case up here in Rochester NY that’s brewing from mid-summer.

    http://www.rnews.com/print.cfm?id=63333

    Put it on the list, please.

    Dusty (545d04)

  13. Also according to CBI records, Hernandez, who has 11 aliases and two listed birth dates, has four listed birth places, including Mexico.

    I didn’t see anything regarding this but is it also possibile that Hernandez has stolen anyone’s identity?

    Dana (084de8)

  14. See the updates. There are two.

    Patterico (cc3b34)

  15. Show this illegal alein some good old fronteer justice a noose around his neck from the back of a horse and a tree with good stout limbs and sue the idiots who shelter these illegal aleins

    Krazy Kagu (001cfd)

  16. If he’s as “distraught” as he claims to be, someone should slip a rope into his jail cell.

    DinTN (112c6c)


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