http://www.wsoctv.com/news/6513507/detail.html

POSTED: 10:54 pm EST January 27, 2006

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A fatal drunk driving wreck last weekend caused backlash for Charlotte's hispanic community.

Noel Moreno was charged with involuntary manslaughter and driving while impaired after the wreck last Saturday on Beatties Ford Road. Immigration customs enforcement officials confirmed Friday Moreno was in the country illegally. Moreno's passenger, Roberto Casillia, died at the scene. Casillia was also an illegal immigrant.

The Latin American Coalition said Friday cases like this only hurt the way the community views latinos. "People are angry about our immigration system and rightfully so...it's broken and needs to be fixed," said the coalition's executive director, Jess George. "Unfortunately, a lot of people take the misunderstanding of immigration law and turn it into something that's akin to bigotry."