Published: August 18, 2009 07:37 pm

Man in vehicular homicide case now on ICE hold

Mark Millican

A man accused of vehicular homicide had a bond of $50,000 set in Whitfield County Superior Court on Tuesday, and by day’s end had a hold placed on him by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Ismael Lopez-Rodriguez, 36, of 119 Gay St. in Dalton, was charged with second degree vehicular homicide in the death of motorcyclist Audie Burnette, 45, of Chatsworth on the South Bypass on Thursday. Additional charges include failure to yield, driving on an expired license, failure to register a vehicle within 30 days of moving to Georgia and failure to get a Georgia driver’s license within 30 days of moving to the state.

Judge Robert Adams set the bond after Jason Souther of the district attorney’s office argued that Lopez-Rodriguez was a flight risk and raised the possibility he was in the country illegally.

“I think it was the highest misdemeanor bond I’ve ever seen,â€