Ron Wilkins, Journal & Courier Published 2:46 p.m. ET Aug. 17, 2017 | Updated 2:50 p.m. ET Aug. 17, 2017


(Photo: Provided/Tippecanoe County Jail)

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Forty-nine-year-old Franco Navarrete's life turned into a legal storm, swirling between state criminal laws — like possible murder charges to ID deception charges — and immigration charges for allegedly being in the U.S. illegally.

It begs the question asked Journal & Courier readers on Facebook posts: Do illegal aliens accused of crimes face justice first or do they sidestep criminal charges by being deported?

Tippecanoe County Prosecutor Patrick Harrington does not comment on specific cases until adjudication. But he responded to a question about legal procedure for illegal aliens accused of a crime.

"(Immigration and Customs Enforcement) places a hold, and then defers to the state prosecution to conclude," Harrington said of the typical case, "and if there is a conviction and a prison sentence, they will wait until the prison sentence is served.

"When the prison sentence is completed, the person is taken into federal custody and the deportation process resumes."

Police suspect Navarrete fired the shots that killed 67-year-old Catalina Lujano-Campuzano, and her adult son, Gustavo Sanchez-Campuzan, 38, as they walked in the 800 block of Eastwich Drive about 9:30 p.m. Aug. 10.

The homicide investigation led to allegations from Immigration and Customs Enforcement that he is illegally in the country and was working while using documents of another individual. ICE placed a hold on his release from jail.

On Wednesday, prosecutors charged Navarrete with unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien, identity deception and synthetic identity deception for allegedly having falsified legal documents claiming he was Joselito Sanabria.

While Navarrete is the suspect in the Aug. 10 shootings, he has yet to be charged for the slayings.

Several immigration attorneys contacted for this story did not return calls to the Journal & Courier.

http://www.jconline.com/story/news/c...nce/575969001/