Illegal Immigrant Indicted in Fatal Wreck
November 6th, 2007 @ 11:44am
by KPHO.com; Photo courtesy of KPHO.com

An illegal immigrant was indicted in a hit-and-run wreck that killed a 5-year-old girl and injured three other children and an adult, County Attorney Andrew Thomas said Tuesday.

Wilson Gilberto Alba-Cano, 27, was drunk when the collision occurred, according to court paperwork.

He was arrested Oct. 21 and is being held without bond.

Phoenix police Detective Stacie Derge said Cano pulled out of a private drive near Seventh Avenue and Roeser Road and hit the victims' pickup, which was heading north on Seventh Avenue.

The pickup rolled over, ejecting two children.

Annabelle Sandoval, 5, died at a hospital, police said.

Two 3-year-olds -- a boy and a girl -- a 7-year-old boy and the 26-year-old man who was driving the truck, Miguel Sandoval, were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The 7-year-old had a broken leg.

Derge said at least some of the children were not wearing seat belts.

Cano fled the scene, but witnesses followed him to a nearby neighborhood, where he crashed into a fence in someone's front yard, Derge said. He then ran away on foot, but police caught up with him.

Cano was given a breathalyzer test and showed a blood-alcohol level of .254, according to court paperwork.

According to the paperwork, Cano admitted to hitting the pickup and said he fled the scene because he was afraid of being deported.

Cano also said he did not have a driver's license or insurance for the car he was driving, the paperwork shows.

Cano told police he paid coyotes $1,500 to smuggle him into the U.S. about two years ago, according to court paperwork.

"This tragedy was not an accident but a crime," said Thomas in a press release. "Fleeing the scene to avoid deportation is not an excuse, but rather a symptom of our immigration crisis."

Cano faces charges of manslaughter, aggravated assault, endangerment and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
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