Students charged with setting fire may be deported
Times-News
February 8, 2008 - 6:42PM

Two of the three Southern Alamance High School students charged with setting a fire in one of the school’s bathrooms Thursday are in the country illegally and could be deported, according to the Alamance County, NC Sheriff’s Department.

Aricel Lopez, 17, of 1757 Stockard Road, and David Aquino Parra, 17, of 4559 Mineral Springs Road, were each charged with one count of burning personal property and contributing to the delinquency of a minor before being identified as illegal immigrants via the sheriff’s department’s in-house screening through the 287 (g) program.

The Alamance County Sheriff’s Department is currently one of four North Carolina sheriff’s offices participating in the program, which is designed to enforce federal immi-gration law at the local level.

The minor, a 15-year-old, was charged on a juvenile count of burning personal property and is not subject to 287 (g), officials said.

He was likely released back into the custody of his family, said Randy Jones, the sheriff’s office spokesman.

While every suspect booked into the detention center is screened under the 287 (g) program.
It is unclear when or if the 17-year-olds will be deported.

“I can’t tell you if they’ll be de-ported because I don’t know that,â€