Illegal immigrants involved in crash (The News-Star)

Illegal immigrants involved in crash
9:37 AM, Mar. 16, 2011
Written by Staff report

West Monroe police arrested three men Tuesday night and the suspects names have been sent to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement because they are in the U.S. illegally, reports stated.

Officers arrested Roberto De La Cruz Huerta, 19, Ezequiel Hernandez Viliarreal, 21, and Santiago Hernandez Morgado, 27, all of 4801 U.S. 165 South Bypass. Huerta was charged with operating a vehicle without lawful presence in the U.S., no driver’s license, no insurance, hit and run and interfering with an investigation. Morgado and Viliarreal were each charged with one count of interfering with an investigation.

According to police reports, a West Monroe officer saw a vehicle crash in the 2300 block of North Seventh Street. One of the vehicles involved left the scene, drove several blocks and then pulled into a parking lot. Officers made contact with the three men in the parking lot and all three told police another man by the name of “Ricardo” was driving at the time of the accident and he ran away.

Huerta later admitted he was driving the truck and all three suspects admitted they were in the U.S. illegally, reports stated.

All three were arrested and taken to Ouachita Correctional Center for booking. Police contacted ICE and confirmed all three were in fact illegal immigrants, according to arrest affidavits.