Thread: NC: Driver involved in fatal wreck also in U.S. illegally

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/ ... 702172.htm

Officials: Driver involved in fatal wreck also in U.S. illegally

A man who led police on a pursuit and was involved in a fatal Rowan County wreck was jailed Wednesday on a second-degree murder charge, authorities said.

Federal investigators said they've determined the man was in the U.S. illegally.

Landis officers picked up the Kannapolis man from a Charlotte hospital Wednesday, Landis Police Chief Reggie Faggart said. Authorities had earlier identified him as Rigo Verto Guillen Martinez. His real name is Carlos Alfonso Guillen Martinez, federal authorities said Wednesday.

On Feb. 6, an SUV driven by Guillen Martinez, 33, crashed into a car driven by Leeanna Newman, 20, of Salisbury, killing Newman and her unborn baby. Newman's 1-year-old daughter, Mallory, a passenger in the car, was not injured.

Rowan County District Attorney William Kenerly has decided to charge Guillen Martinez with one count of second-degree murder, Faggart said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents learned his real name Wednesday and that he's from El Salvador, said Richard Rocha, an agency spokesman. Guillen Martinez was deported in 1997 and 1998, the spokesman said.

If Guillen Martinez is convicted of an N.C. crime, he would be deported immediately after he finishes serving prison time, Rocha said. -- Sharif Durhams

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/ ... 698987.htm

Posted on Wed, Feb. 14, 2007

Murder charge in Rowan fatal wreck
SHARIF DURHAMS
sdurhams@charlotteobserver.com

A man who led a police pursuit and was involved in a fatal Rowan County wreck will be jailed today on a second-degree murder charge, authorities said.

Officers in the town of Landis drove to Charlotte this afternoon to pick up Kannapolis resident Rigo Verto Guillen Martinez from Carolinas Medical Center, Landis Police Chief Reggie Faggart said.

On Feb. 6, an SUV driven by Martinez, 33, crashed into a car driven by Leeanna Newman, 20, a pregnant Salisbury mother, killing Newman and her unborn baby, authorities said. Newman's 1-year-old daughter, Mallory, a passenger in the car, was not injured.

Martinez has been in the hospital since the wreck. He's had at least two surgeries, and he's wearing casts on both legs, Faggart said.

He will be taken to the magistrate in Rowan County this afternoon and make a first court appearance Thursday, Faggart said.

Rowan County District Attorney William Kenerly has decided to charge Martinez with one count of second-degree murder, Faggart said. Kenerly has not decided whether to pursue a separate charge in the death of the unborn baby, the chief said.

Rowan County authorities are still waiting on results of toxicology tests to determine whether Martinez was legally drunk.

Investigators are also waiting to hear word on whether Martinez is in the U.S. legally. Martinez has a Mexico driver's license, but he's not licensed to drive in North Carolina, Faggart said.

Immigration agents asked Landis police for information about Martinez last week, but the police have not heard the result of the federal investigation, the chief said.

A Kannapolis police officer started pursuing Martinez's SUV and followed it into Landis because Martinez was driving erratically, Kannapolis officers said.

Some witnesses said Martinez was driving as fast as 80 miles per hour. Kannapolis investigators have said they're examining whether their officer should have pursued the SUV.

Why not 2 counts of murder, does the fetus not count on this one as it did in the Lacy Perterson case?

http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/ ... f7dc0.html

Driver in fatal crash has been deported twice

09:31 PM EST on Wednesday, February 14, 2007

By WCNC Staff

The driver in a fatal crash last week was in the United States illegally, and had previously been deported twice to his native El Salvador.

And is real name is not Rigo Verto Guillen Martinez, as was listed on the Mexican driver’s license he was carrying when he crashed. Authorities say he is Carlos Alfonso Guillen Martinez, and he was deported in 1997 and again in 1998.

Police have not yet run Martinez’s fingerprints to check his criminal history.

Martinez, accused of leading police on a pursuit ending in a crash that killed a woman and her unborn child, was released from the hospital today.

Police in the Rowan County town of Landis said they would arrest Martinez on charges related to the Feb. 5 crash that killed Leeanna Newman, 20, and her unborn daughter.

Martinez will be taken to the Rowan County Magistrate in Salisbury. He is expected to be charged with felony death by vehicle.

Kannapolis Police said an officer first spotted a red Jeep Cherokee driving erratically on Rosemont Avenue. The officer followed the Jeep for less than a mile as the SUV sped away at speeds reaching 70 miles per hour, nearly twice the posted speed limit on Landis’ Main Street.

The Jeep crashed into a white Saturn driven by Newman. She was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center where she later died. Rescue crews pulled Martinez from the wreckage of the SUV. Investigators recovered a Mexican-issued drivers’ license.

Police said they are still awaiting the results of laboratory tests, which could indicate whether Martinez was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash. If investigators have evidence drugs or alcohol was a factor in the wreck, Martinez is expected to face a more serious murder charge.

WCNC reporters Mark Boone and Tony Burbeck contributed to this report.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/ ... 642520.htm

Posted on Wed, Feb. 07, 2007

Woman, unborn child die after wreck
Driver being followed by police
STEVE LYTTLE
slyttle@charlotteobserver.com

WCNC.com Leanna Newman

A young Rowan County woman and her unborn baby have died as a result of injuries suffered in a collision Tuesday afternoon with a driver being followed by police.

Authorities in Rowan County say the driver was not being chased -- merely followed.

The victim was Leanna Newman, 20, of Salisbury.

The wreck happened on Main Street in Landis.

Police in Landis say the incident began unfolding in Kannapolis, however, where officers say they noticed a red Jeep -- driven by Rigo Berto Guillen Martinez, 33 -- being operated erratically. Police say the Jeep crossed the center line and was weaving.

Police say they began following the Jeep. Witnesses told WCNC-TV, the Observer's news partner, that the Jeep struck several vehicles before hitting the Saturn driven by Newman.

The collision happened on Main Street in Landis. Newman's car overturned several times after being hit.

Newman, her 3-year-old daughter and Martinez all were transported to North East Medical Center in Concord initially, but Newman and Martinez were transferred Tuesday evening to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. Newman and her unborn baby died overnight.

Martinez is in fair condition this morning.

Police say Newman's 3-year-old daughter was not seriously injured.

Investigators will have three issues to sort through today -- whether alcohol was involved; Martinez's status in the United States; and whether the death was the result of a police chase.

According to WCNC, Martinez had a Mexican driver license but not a N.C. license. Police have not said if alcohol was involved, or whether Martinez was in the United States legally.

Authorities also are expected to investigate whether police were chasing Martinez, although Landis officials said Tuesday that no high-speed pursuit was taking place. There have been several cases in recent months in which motorists being pursued by police struck and injured other motorists.

What's left of her car


Fatality: Leeanna Newman was killed when the Saturn she was driving was struck head-on by a Jeep driven by Rigo Verto Guillen Martinez on South Main Street in Landis on Tuesday. Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post.

Thank you Had Enuf. This is as we suspected.

We will now help to distribute this information statewide and nationally.

W

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/11015163/detail.html

Man Charged In Deadly Landis Crash In U.S. Illegally



POSTED: 6:38 pm EST February 14, 2007
UPDATED: 11:09 pm EST February 14, 2007

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The man accused of causing a tragic crash in Landis last week was released from the hospital and taken into police custody Wednesday night.

Police wheeled Carlos Alfonso Guillen Martinez into the Rowan County jail on a stretcher, because he broke both his legs in the crash.

Leeanna Newman, 20, and her unborn child died after the accident.

Police say Martinez, 33, was driving about 100 miles per hour down South Main Street when he lost control of his Jeep Cherokee in a curve and hit Newman's car head-on near West First Street on February 6.

He first gave police the name Rigoberto Guillen Martinez, but Immigration Customs Enforcement officials say that was an alias.

Eyewitness News learned Martinez is in the country illegally, and he's been deported twice before, in 1997 and 1998. We also learned he's from El Salvador.

Martinez is being held on $1 million bond; he's charged with one count of second degree murder for Newman's death, as well as driving while impaired. He could face more charges.

Detectives will decide whether Martinez will be charged with the baby's death once they review Newman's medical records.

He'll make his first appearance Thursday morning in Rowan County District Court.

Martinez could then be transferred to the hospital at Central Prison in Raleigh.

Added to Homepage

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=N ... e&sid=1939

Judges should not allow any Bail for criminal aliens. What a tragic story. I have sent this to my congressman and senators. We all need to send stories of ciminal behavior by those that they want to give our country to.