Thread: Man held in crash at ice cream shop has long rap sheet

Man held in crash at ice cream shop has long rap sheet
Judi Villa
Sunday, September 7, 2008


Francis Hernandez has been arrested nearly 20 times in metro area.

A man accused of causing an accident that sent two cars careening into an ice cream shop, killing a 3-year-old boy and two women Thursday, likely is not a U.S. citizen, immigration officials said Sunday.

But it was unclear Sunday whether Francis Hernandez, 23, is an illegal immigrant. He could have another immigration status.

On Saturday, immigration officials put a hold on Hernandez, who has been arrested almost 20 times in the metro area, almost all on misdemeanor charges. If he is released from jail, Hernandez will be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

"Although there is conflicting data on his place of birth, it is currently believed that he is a non-U.S. citizen," Carl Rusnok, spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, wrote in an e-mail Sunday.

The news contradicts initial police intelligence. On Friday, Aurora police Lt. John Sopranuk said officers had looked into Hernandez's immigration status and concluded he was in the U.S. legally.

If it turns out Hernandez is in the country illegally, the question will become why he wasn't deported before he slammed his Chevrolet Suburban into a pickup truck, triggering the carnage Thursday at a Baskin- Robbins in Aurora.

Colorado passed an "anti- sanctuary" bill in 2006 that requires local law enforcement agencies to report to ICE any illegal immigrants who are arrested or cited for most offenses that are more serious than a traffic citation.

Hernandez, who has a rap sheet dating to 2003, has been arrested five times since the law took effect, but immigration officials said Sunday he wasn't referred to them.

All of those arrests involved traffic infractions, according to Colorado Bureau of Investigations records. But they also involved obstructing police and lying to officers. And during four of the incidents, Hernandez was cited for being a fugitive from another jurisdiction.

Police agencies that have had contact with Hernandez since the law took effect could not verify Sunday whether or not they had referred Hernandez to immigration authorities.

Hernandez is jailed on vehicular homicide charges after police say he caused the crash at East Mississippi Avenue and South Havana Street.

Marten Kublis, 3, was killed when the careening wreckage snared him from a window seat at Baskin-Robbins and dragged him to his death. Two women inside the pickup truck, Patricia Guntharp, 49, of Centennial, and her best friend, Debra Serecky, 51, of Aurora, also were killed.

Hernandez ran from the scene but was arrested a couple of hours later. He had no driver's license and there is no indication he has ever had a valid license, Aurora police said.

Hernandez's arrest record indicates he has listed California, Mexico and Guatemala as places of birth. He also has used eight variations of the name Francis Hernandez.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2 ... -long-rap/

Court Appearance Set for Man Accused in Ice Cream Store Crash

Last Edited: Monday, 08 Sep 2008, 6:03 AM MDT
Created: Monday, 08 Sep 2008, 5:29 AM MDT

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (MyFOXColorado.com) - A man accused of killing three people in a hit-and-run traffic crash was scheduled to appear in court Monday.
Francis M. Hernandez was to appear in Arapahoe County Court after police in Aurora say he hit and killed three people at a Baskin Robbins ice cream store last week. He faces numerous charges including vehicular homicide.

The crash on Havana Street just south of Mississippi Avenue Thursday night killed a 3-year-old boy who was inside the store waiting for ice cream, and two women who were riding in the pickup truck that the suspect hit broadside.

Federal immigration officials have placed a hold on 23-year-old Francis Maudaniel Hernandez. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials say it appears Hernandez is not a U.S. citizen.

Aurora Police say he was driving without a license Thursday at about 8:00 p.m. when he slammed his SUV into Patricia Guntharp’s pickup, killing her and her passenger, Debra Serecky. The truck went careening into the Baskin Robbins store at Havana and Mississippi. Debris dragged by the truck hit and killed 3-year-old Marten Kudlis.

Police and witnesses say Hernandez ran from the scene of the crash. Officers searched a nearby neighborhood and apprehended him a short time later.

ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok says the detainer means that Hernandez will be released to immigration authorities if the state releases him.

He's had 16 arrests, including charges of forgery and fraud, and investigators say he's used numerous aliases over the last five years.
http://www.myfoxcolorado.com/myfox/page ... geId=3.2.1