Publish Date: 5/24/2007

Illegal had city hall key
Officials investigating how cleaning contractor’s employee was hired

By Trevor Hughes
The Daily Times-Call

LONGMONT — City officials are scrambling to explain how a man who said he was an illegal immigrant from Mexico ended up with a city contractor ID badge and master keys to multiple public facilities, including the Longmont Civic Center.

Under a 2006 state law, illegal immigrants are barred from working for governments or companies working on government contracts, and employers are required to verify their eligibility before hiring them.

Police officers arrested a man they say is Jesus Orrantia-Vazquez on Monday night on suspicion of criminal impersonation. The man who also gave the names Jesus Armondo Orrantia, Javier Flavio and Flavio Vazquez Lujan initially said he was from Texas, and he gave a variety of birthdates.

A security guard found a car at 11:30 p.m. Monday parked at a locked gate leading to the Sandstone Ranch visitor center. When police arrived, the guard was waiting with Orrantia, who told them he had just finished cleaning the building.

Officers said Orrantia, 23, was then arrested because he lied to them about his identity. Officers said they recognized the man because he was part of the crew that recently cleaned the police department.

Officers said they found several city master keys on Orrantia’s key ring. Orrantia said the keys open the Longmont Civic Center. Police officers said the keys also opened many doors within the police station.

“It was a police master key for most of the department,â€