Thread: Lake County murder suspect found to be in country illegally during July 7 traffic sto

Border Patrol Refused Detainer for Illegal Alien, Who Allegedly Then Attempted Rape, Shot a Woman, And Murdered a Woman

By Michael W. Chapman | April 6, 2016 | 10:27 AM EDT


(CNSNews.com) -- Ohio police stopped and questioned an illegal alien in early July 2015 and when they contacted Border Patrol to issue a detainer to keep the person in custody, Border Patrol refused and the illegal alien, Juan Razo, was released. Three weeks later, Razo allegedly tried to rape a 14-year-old girl, shot a woman on a bike path, then broke into a home and allegedly murdered a 60-year-old woman.

Juan Emmanuel Razo reportedly has agreed to plead guilty to 16 charges, in a plea-bargain deal that includes a life sentence without parole, in order to avoid the death penalty. He is scheduled to be sentenced officially on April 27, 2016, according to Cleveland.com.

The Painesville police first encountered Razo on July 7, 2015, and then three weeks later Razo went on his alleged crime spree, and was hunted down and arrested on July 27.

Commenting on the case in a July 31, 2015 press release, Lake County Sheriff Dan Dunlap said, “I have the utmost respect for the United States Border Patrol agents, as well as all Immigration authorities. However, I feel it is necessary that I clarify the facts concerning our initial encounter with Juan Emmanuel Razo on July 7, 2015.”

On that day around 8:00 p.m., Razo was seen on foot. “When our deputy sheriffs approached him he was extremely nervous, sweating profusely, and making every attempt to avoid eye contact,” said Sheriff Dunlap. “When questioned he provided a false name, was unable to give any type of identification, and he admitted to being in the United States illegally.”

One of the police officers on the scene then called the U.S. Border Patrol, explained the situation, and then allowed the agents to speak with Razo over the phone. “As the conversations progressed Razo became less and less communicative, and he would not again admit to the Border Patrol, as he did to the deputies initially, that he was in the United States illegally,” said Sheriff Dunlap.

“Subsequently the deputies requested the Border Patrol to issue a detainer/hold authorization to keep Razo in custody,” said the sheriff. “The deputies explained that the Sheriff’s Office could not further detain Razo legally without authorization from immigration authorities. Border Patrol would not issue a detainer.”

“Without legal authority to further detain Razo, he was released,” said the sheriff. “Until recently detainers were routinely issued when requested.”

“Our Office provided Razo’s information to the Border Patrol, including his name and address,” the sheriff continued. “Why this information was never followed up on by Border Patrol agents is something for them to answer. It is important to note that when our Office contacted the Department of Homeland Security this week regarding Razo’s immigration status, it took two days to finally receive confirmation of Razo’s illegal status.”

“The fact is current rules and regulations are making it extremely difficult for any police officer on the street to know which laws they can or cannot enforce in the area of undocumented persons,” said Sheriff Dunlap.

“I want to make clear that they [Lake County police officers] did everything they legally could have done on July 7, 2015 when they encountered and interviewed Juan Emmanuel Razo,” said Dunlap.

On July 27, 2015, Razo allegedly attempted to rape a 14-year-old girl in a park in Concord, Ohio, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Razo then reportedly shot a woman who was on the Lake MetroParks Greenway bike path in Concord around 2:43PM. Not long thereafter, Razo reportedly shot and killed Margaret Kostelnik inside her home, which is near the bike path.

Around 4:30PM, the police got a telephone call about a man with a rifle on someone’s property in Concord township. When police arrived at the scene, they exchanged fire with Razo and shortly thereafter he surrendered.

According to Cleveland.com (Cleveland Plain Dealer Publishing), the illegal alien Razo faces three counts of kidnapping, two counts each of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, attempted murder, aggravated burglary, attempted rape, felonious assault, and one count of rape.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/mich...attempted-rape

WKYC 11:16 AM. EST April 27, 2016

(video at source link)

LAKE COUNTY, Ohio -- The man who murdered a Lake County woman in her home last July will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

After labeling Juan Razo as "evil personified," Lake County Judge John P. O'Donnell sentenced him to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $180,000.

Last month Razo, an illegal immigrant, pleaded guilty to the charges against him regarding the murder of 60-year-old Peggy Kostelnik. She was killed in her Ravenna Road home.

Razo, who doesn't speak English, sat with a translator who dictated the court proceedings as sentencing was underway.

The judge declared he's seen no remorse from Razo, while adding he's never seen his eyes despite several previous court appearances.

The same day Kostelnik was killed, Razo shot another woman.

She survived.

That woman was among several people who tearfully spoke to the court prior to Razo's sentencing.

“I can never take away my kids seeing me covered in blood, and I can’t take away the terror they felt that day," she said. "I can’t change how it will shape their life from now on. They don’t see life the same way anymore. Their innocence has been taken from them. The world is now a scary place.”

Razo has been in the Lake County Jail since his arrest on $10 million bond.

When stopped by sheriff's deputies days earlier on July 7, he admitted that he is an illegal immigrant. However, U.S. Border Patrol officials declined to take custody of Razo, the report shows.

At one point, Razo refused to identify himself, the deputy wrote. "[Notes:Razo] was secured while we spoke with ...U.S. Border Patrol, who later decided not to respond to take [Notes:Razo] into custody," the deputy wrote in his report. "[Notes:Razo] was warned not to return to this property. We cleared."

It is unclear why Border Patrol refused to take Razo into custody.

http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/lake-...ling/155952859

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