Man responsible for Officer Schechterle's fiery crash deported

by Daniel González - Oct. 1, 2011 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

The Mexican taxi driver responsible for the fiery crash that critically burned Phoenix police Officer Jason Schechterle in 2001 has been deported after being released from prison, federal immigration officials said.

Rojelio Gutierrez, 45, was in the country illegally when his taxi cab rear-ended Schechterle's police cruiser at more than 100 miles an hour in March 2001. Both vehicles burst into flames. Schechterle was severely burned and disfigured.

Gutierrez, who had a history of seizure-related crashes, was suffering from an epileptic seizure at the time of the crash, immigration officials said.

He was convicted of two counts of aggravated assault and sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was released from prison on Sept. 12 and then transferred into the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said ICE spokesman Vincent Picard.

Gutierrez was held at the Florence Detention Center south of Phoenix. On Wednesday, an immigration judge ordered him removed to Mexico. ICE officials deported him through the Dennis DeConcini Port in Nogales early Thursday morning, Picard said.

"While this man's removal from the United States doesn't change the tragedy that befell Officer Schechterle, we hope it does bring some reassurance that Gutierrez will not be posing such a horrific threat on the streets of our communities again," said Katrina Kane, field office director of ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations in Phoenix.

If Gutierrez returns to the U.S. illegally, he could face a felony charge of illegal re-entry after deportation, a federal crime that carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000, Picard said.

Since the crash, Schechterle has had more than 50 surgeries. He returned for a while to police work but took a medical retirement five years ago from the Phoenix Police Department. He since has started the non-profit Beyond the Flames. He hopes to raise money for injured people who, like him, seem to have little chance for regaining a normal life.

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