Accused street racers may be in country illegally



RACING TRAGEDY A police officer films the aftermath of a car crash on July 14 at the intersection of Yale Avenue and Peoria Street in Aurora. Witnesses told investigators that a black Pontiac G8 and a red Jeep Cherokee were heading southbound on Peoria and the drivers, who police say they do not think knew each other, appeared to be racing. When the two cars approached Yale, the driver of a white Chevrolet Camaro tried to make a left turn from northbound Peoria to westbound Yale, police say. (Photo by Joe Nguyen/The Aurora Sentinel)
BY BRANDON JOHANSSON
The Aurora Sentinel
Published: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 9:17 PM MDT

AURORA | Two accused street racers who police say caused a fatal crash and argued with each other as the victim lay dying have been charged with vehicular homicide and, police say, the two men may be in the country illegally.

Benny Sitinjak, 34, and Jose Hernandez Castellanos, 28, were arrested late Tuesday night after police say they reached speeds of more than 75 mph and caused a crash that killed a third motorist at the intersection of East Yale Avenue and South Peoria Street.

Both men are being held at the Arapahoe County jail in lieu of $50,000 bond, police said, and have been charged with felony vehicular homicide.

Aurora police Lt. Chuck DeShazer, a spokesman for the department’s traffic section, said the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency had placed holds on the two men Wednesday.

An ICE hold is usually a sign that federal authorities believe a suspect is in the country illegally. But DeShazer said the holds could be a precaution by federal authorities. Both men had valid driver’s licenses, DeShazer said.

Police say the two men were headed south on Peoria around 10 p.m. Tuesday and racing each other — Sitinjak in a red Jeep Cherokee and Castellanos in a black Pontiac G8 — when Sitinjak slammed into a white Chevrolet Camaro.

The Jeep destroyed the Camaro and came to rest on top of the sports car’s passenger seat.

The driver of the Camaro, whose name has not been released, died Tuesday night.

DeShazer said the crash was particularly tragic because the two racers killed an innocent motorist.

“I don’t see how it could get any worse unless they had passengers that were injured,â€