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Article published May 30, 2006
Illegal immigrant to be jailed for up to 81 months in fatal wreck

WHITEVILLE -- A Columbus County Superior Court judge today sentenced Jose Jesus Garcia Lopez to 59 to 81 months in prison for a 2004 motor vehicle crash that took the life of a Tabor City woman.

Lopez, 34, was convicted last week of involuntary manslaughter, hit and run-fail to stop for personal injuries or death, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and felony death by vehicle.

Prosecutors had sought a second-degree murder conviction in connection with the head-on crash Dec. 19, 2004, on N.C. 904 that killed Natalie Housand, 20.

Lopez, a Mexican national, claimed his brother was driving his Jeep Cherokee at the time of the crash, but said he was too drunk to remember any details. He had no visible reaction after he was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Ola Lewis.

In a statement released after today's sentencing, Housand's father, Patrick, said: "My wife and I have been deprived of a daughter, and my son has been deprived of a sister and his only sibling."

Check Wednesday's Star-News for more on this developing story.


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