Man charged in fatal accident is illegal immigrant

Man charged in fatal accident is illegal immigrant

By: Allison Brophy Champion | Culpeper Star Exponent
Published: September 15, 2012



The allegedly intoxicated man charged with manslaughter in the Sept. 6 collision onEggbornsville Roadthat killed a 20-year-old pregnant woman and her full-term baby is an illegal immigrant, according to a motion filed Friday in Culpeper County General District Court by theCulpeperCountyCommonwealth’s Attorney Office.

Orlando A. Cruz, 36, is being held in Culpeper County Jail on no bond, awaiting an Oct. 15 court hearing on two counts of aggravated involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence, driving without a license and improper use of a state inspection sticker.

According to the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office, Zulma Alvarez, 20, of Jeffersonton, was struck head on in her Ford Windstar van around 6 p.m. when Cruz, driving a Jeep Cherokee, crossed over the center lane.

Alvarez, nine-months pregnant at the time of the crash, died at the local hospital of her injuries along with her newborn baby.

Known to family and friends as “Carly,” Alvarez, and her baby will be memorialized at a funeral today at Horizon Funeral Home in the town ofCulpeper.

Carly and her baby will be buried in her native country of El Salvador. Today’s funeral service will go from 6:30 p.m. until 6 a.m. Sunday, per her native custom.

According to court documents, Cruz is also fromEl SalvadorinCentral America.

As part of the motion filed Friday, the commonwealth requested that the one charge of involuntary manslaughter against Cruz involving the baby be transferred to Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court because “the crime is committed against Alvarez’s child,” a juvenile victim under Virginia law.

According to the commonwealth’s motion, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement identified Cruz as being illegally present in theU.S.and lodged a detainer against him following the manslaughter charges being placed against him. That means following completion of court proceedings in the case and any potential incarceration, Cruz would be deported.

The Culpeper County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office previously reported Cruz to ICE concerning his potential immigration status following hearings in June 2011 and this past January on charges of driving without a license, for which he was convicted, according to the motion.

Cruz did not have a social security number at that time; on his most recent arrest warrant, his social security number was all zeros.

In general district court Wednesday, attorney Paul Walla ofManassaswas appointed to represent Cruz.

The defendant is being held without bond in Culpeper County Jail. According to court documents, Cruz had a blood alcohol level of less than .20 percent, and this was his first DUI charge.

Meanwhile, several downtown Culpeper businesses have rallied in support of the victim’s family.

Frost Café at Main andDavisstreets – where Carly’s father works – is now selling raffle tickets for restaurant gift certificates and other items donated by neighboring merchants. The tickets are $1 each, six for $5 or 12 for $10 with all proceeds going directly to the Alvarez family.

Man charged in fatal accident is illegal immigrant | Star-Exponent

Immigration status issue in fatal crash

Man facing manslaughter charges in traffic deaths of pregnant woman and unborn child may be in country illegally

Date published: 9/15/2012

BY DONNIE JOHNSTON

A man facing two manslaughter charges in the traffic deaths of a pregnant Culpeper woman and her unborn child may not be in the United States legally.


Orlando Cruz, 36, is charged with two counts of aggravated involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence, driving without a license and improper use of a state inspection sticker in a Sept. 6 crash that killed 20-year-old Zulma Alvarez, who was nine months pregnant.

According to the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office, Cruz's
Jeep Cherokee struck the Ford Windstar van Alvarez was driving about 7:30 p.m. on the Eggbornsville Road, about one-tenth of a mile west of State Route 229.

The Culpeper County Commonwealth's Attorney's
office Friday filed a motion in General District Court to transfer the manslaughter count related to the unborn child to Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and try the cases separately.

Paul Walla, Cruz's court-appointed attorney, withdrew a motion for bail after it was learned that local authorities have been asked to detain Cruz on immigration-status issues.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer against Cruz, who is suspected of being in this country illegally from El Salvador.

According to a motion filed Friday, the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office twice sent reports to ICE concerning Cruz before he appeared in District Court on June 8 of last year and Jan. 18 of this year. Both times Cruz was charged
with driving without a license.

The Commonwealth's Attorney's Office said it is unclear whether ICE acted on
the complaints and deported Cruz on either occasion.

Since 2006, the Culpeper office has filed more than 3,000 illegal immigrant notices to federal agents, according to Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Dale Durrer.
Fredericksburg.com - Immigration status issue in fatal crash

It looks like he will be getting his medical care for free also - complements of US taxpayers.

Crash kills Culpeper woman, unborn child

Two women killed in separate Culpeper
accidents
BY DONNIE JOHNSTON
Date published: 9/8/2012
BY DONNIE JOHNSTON


A 36-year-old Culpeper man was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter Friday in a head-on collision that killed an expectant mother and her unborn child.

The Culpeper County Sheriff's Office said Zulma Alvarez, 20, of Jeffersonton died from injuries she suffered when a northbound
Jeep Cherokee crossed into the southbound lane of State Route 729 and collided head-on with her Ford van. The crash occurred just before 6:30 p.m. Thursday about a half-mile north of State Route 229.

Alvarez, who was nine months pregnant, was taken to Culpeper Regional Hospital, where she died.

The driver of the Cherokee, Orlando Cruz, was flown by helicopter to the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville, as was a passenger in the Jeep.

According to the Sheriff's Office, Cruz was charged with two counts of
aggravated involuntary manslaughter--one for the mother's death and the other for the unborn child. He was also charged with driving under the influence, driving without a license and improper use of an state inspection sticker.

The crash was one of two separate fatal head-on collisions in Culpeper
Thursday evening. Andrea Dawn Henson, 28, died at the scene after her 2007 Hyundai collided with a 2007 Volvo about 5:50 p.m. on U.S. 15.

According to Virginia State Police Sgt. Les Tyler, the Volvo was headed north when it apparently crossed the center line and struck Henson's vehicle about one-tenth of a mile north of State Route 648.

The Volvo driver, Martha Jane Murray-Denicolas, 65, of Orange, was taken to U.Va. Hospital, Tyler said.

The hospital was unable to provide conditions Friday night for any of those brought in from the Culpeper crashes.
Fredericksburg.com - Crash kills Culpeper woman, unborn child

Two more deaths can be added to the thousands we already had. We need to be strict with our laws and most importantly, ENFORCE them!

It makes me angry as hell when I see a death that could have been prevented and caused by an illegal. Time for all family members to start suing!

(mod edit) After 22 years, I'm tired of business as usual.

The thing is they send him home and a few hours he will be heading back again..most likely with a new name a new id and he will most likely do it again....The government just don't get it!
probably because it hasn't effected them yet..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by posylady

The thing is they send him home and a few hours he will be heading back again..most likely with a new name a new id and he will most likely do it again....The government just don't get it!
probably because it hasn't effected them yet..

---

Exactly! Many of our citizens have been raped,maimed and killed because of illegals with previous arrests and deportations and our laws not being enforced.

September 18, 2012
Dave Gibson
examiner.com

http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/def...ca4a6e764b.jpg
Orlando A. Cruz
Credits:
booking photo

On Saturday, a funeral was held at Horizon Funeral Home in Culpeper for Zulma "Carly" Alvarez, 20, and her newborn baby. The two were killed on September 6, when their van was hit head on Eggbornsville Road by a Jeep Cherokee that crossed the center line.

Alvarez was nine months pregnant. She and her baby both died at Culpeper Regional Hospital a short time after the crash, according to a Culpeper County Sheriff's Office press release.

The driver of the Jeep, Orlando A. Cruz, 36, was reportedly intoxicated at the time of the fatal wreck.

Cruz had a blood alcohol level of .20, according to court documents.

Cruz has been charged with two counts of aggravated involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence, driving without a license and improper use of a state inspection sticker.

Cruz is currently being held in the Culpeper County Jail on an immigration detainer.

After his arrest, it was quickly determined that Cruz is in the country illegally from El Salvador. His next court appearance is set for Oct. 15.

As is the case in all of these tragedies, these two senseless deaths could have been avoided, had the federal government simply done their job...

The Star Exponent reports that the Culpeper County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office actually reported Cruz to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in 2011, when he was charged with driving without a license.

Illegal alien charged with killing pregnant woman and her baby in Virginia - National Immigration Reform | Examiner.com