Thread: Carlos Prieto is in USA illegally

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4949267

Man charged with 3 drunk-driving deaths had no prior record
But authorities confirm Carlos Prieto is in USA illegally
By Pamela Manson
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 01/04/2007 11:47:35 AM MST


Posted: 11:47 AM- A man charged with killing three members of a Utah family and injuring three others in a drunken driving crash has no previous DUI convictions or arrests, according to police.
Booking records at the Salt Lake County jail originally indicated that 24-year-old Carlos Rodolfo Prieto had been arrested twice before on suspicion of drunken driving, an allegation that was widely reported by the news media.
But a spokesman for the Murray Police Department said Thursday that there is no documentation backing up that information and there likely was a typo in the jail's records.
Police say Prieto was driving drunk early Dec. 24 when he ran a red light at 700 West and 5400 South in Murray. His pickup struck a passenger car occupied by six members of the Ceran family, of Cedar Hills in Utah County.
The three front-seat passengers - Cheryl Ceran, 47, and two of her children, Ian, 15, and Julianna, 7 - were killed. Injured were Cheryl Ceran's husband, Gary Ceran, 45, and their daughter Clarissa, 19, and a son, Caleb, 12. The three were treated at a hospital and released.
Prieto is being held in lieu of $500,000 bond on three counts of automobile homicide and two counts of driving under the influence and causing serious bodily injury, all third-degree felonies. He also is charged with one count each of class A misdemeanor DUI with injury and class C misdemeanor driving on an expired license.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says Prieto entered the country illegally and has put a detainer on him. That means he will go into ICE custody and be deported after he has served a sentence or been acquitted of the criminal charges.
ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice says her agency first learned of Prieto after his Dec. 24 arrest. The Mexican national has not been previously detained or deported by the agency, she said.
pmanson@sltrib.com

Salt Lake County jail originally indicated that 24-year-old Carlos Rodolfo Prieto had been arrested twice before on suspicion of drunken driving, an allegation that was widely reported by the news media.
But a spokesman for the Murray Police Department said Thursday that there is no documentation backing up that information and there likely was a typo in the jail's records.

Makes no difference whether he had been caught before or not. The point is these three people would be alive today if the borders were secured and immigration laws were enforced.

The Mexican national has not been previously detained or deported by the agency, she said.

What has ICE been doing in Utah then?

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650221434,00.html

Deseret Morning News, Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Cedar Hills mayor aims to avert DUI deaths

McGee aims to prevent any more tragedies like Dec. 24's

By Amy Choate-Nielsen
Deseret Morning News

PROVO — On Christmas Eve, Cedar Hills Mayor Mike McGee learned that three residents of his town had been killed by a driver suspected of being drunk. On Dec. 26, he was already making phone calls to legislators to see if he could change state laws to keep the same thing from happening again.



Cedar Hills Mayor Mike McGee intends to get laws passed to keep deaths from happening like those of three residents.

Tom Smart, Deseret Morning News
Had it not been Christmas, he probably wouldn't have waited that long to pick up the phone.


"There absolutely needs to be something done, because things are not as they should be, it appears," McGee said of his determination to present a resolution to Utah County's mayors to suggest a legislative change.


McGee said he is already researching ways to change legislation in three areas: the consequences of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, illegal immigration and prosecution approaches to DUI cases.


The specifics of what proposed changes McGee will suggest are still in the works, but McGee says he is sure of one thing — he's not going to take no for an answer.


"I'm at the point now where I feel very strongly about this and I'm not going to just let it go silently into the night," McGee said. "I've been told by many people that this isn't a state issue, but I think it should be."


On Dec. 24, Cheryl Ceran, her son Ian, 15, and daughter Julianna, 7, were killed when they were hit by Carlos Rodolfo Prieto, 24. Police say Prieto ran a red light and crashed into the Ceran family's vehicle.


Although Prieto has no other previously documented DUI charges — initial police reports erroneously reported otherwise — police say he admitted to having five beers that night. He also had a blood alcohol content level over the legal limit of .08 at the time of the accident.


Prieto does not have a driver's license and is believed to be an illegal immigrant. He was charged last week with several misdemeanors and felonies, including three counts of automobile homicide.


McGee says one of the reasons he's exploring changing Utah's laws is because he feels responsible for the residents of his city, but his emotional connection to DUI-related deaths runs much deeper. McGee says he has never met the Ceran family, but while growing up in New Mexico he endured several friends' deaths from DUI-related accidents.


"I'm very, very familiar with the devastating effects on a family when they lose someone from a DUI accident," McGee said. "It has devastating consequences on families. I think something needs to be done about it because a DUI-related death is completely avoidable."


McGee said he would like to address the illegal immigration issue with the state Legislature, but he also has made calls to Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, as well as Utah's other federal representatives to see what can be done.


So far, McGee's proposition has been well received, he says. He plans to have a resolution to present to Utah County's mayors and ask for their support within the next week or two. Then, he'll approach Utah lawmakers.


Rep. John Dougall, R-Highland, says he will listen to McGee's suggestions.


"There are things that could be done if we could get the major support of the Legislature to get them done," Dougall said. "I think people recognize the Legislature in Utah has been very serious in trying to address the problem of DUI. We continue year after year to make improvements to that situation. Even one DUI is too many, so we need to keep making improvements there."


According to Utah law, if a person is convicted of drunken driving one time, he or she can be sentenced to jail for at least 48 hours. The person must be sentenced to perform community service or be confined at home with electronic monitoring. The person is also supposed to pay a fine of at least $700 and possibly attend substance abuse counseling.


For a second offense within 10 years, the jail sentence jumps to at least 240 hours with a fine of at least $800, along with drug counseling and home confinement or community service.


For a third offense within 10 years of two previous convictions, the person can go to prison. If the court suspends a prison sentence and puts the person on probation, the person can be fined at least $1,500 and spend a minimum of 1,500 hours in jail.


Although the laws are meant to target repeat offenders, it doesn't mean the laws are perfect, said Sen. Peter Knudsen, R-Brigham City, outgoing Senate Majority Leader and member of the senate appropriations committee.


"I would say a petition from the mayor of Cedar Hills would be received very warmly," Knudsen said. "We certainly want to look at whatever we can, at least from a legislative standpoint, to make sure that there isn't something we've overlooked."





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