Posted on Mon, Nov. 21, 2005

CLEVE R. WOOTSON JR.

CWOOTSON@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM


A man charged with killing an 18-year-old UNC Charlotte student in a wreck on Interstate 485 has been sent back to Mexico 17 times, officials said Monday.

Jorge Hernandez -- who also goes by Jorge Soto -- has been deported from Tucson, Ariz., twice and from El Paso, Texas, once. The 35-year-old has been voluntarily returned to Mexico 14 times after being caught within miles of the border, said Jeff Jordan, assistant special agent in charge of North Carolina for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

"We have no idea how he's getting back in" the country, Jordan said.

The man gave his name as Jorge Hernandez and told the Observer he was from Pamplico, S.C. He said he had drunk six beers before the accident, which occurred about 12:40 a.m. Friday.

He was headed north in the southbound lanes of I-485, going faster than 100 miles an hour when he crashed into a blue Nissan 350z driven by Min Chang, troopers said. Chang's funeral was Monday morning.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/13227519.htm