Thread: AZ:Suspect had warrant for 13-year-old double homicide

Suspect booked into jail had warrant for 13-year-old double homicide
Associated Press
Jan. 24, 2008 06:30 AM

TUCSON - A man wanted in a double homicide 13 years ago has been found in Pima County jail, where he was being booked on an unrelated sexual assault and kidnapping case, police said.

As Geraldo Lopez, 31, was being jailed last month in the newest case, corrections officers ran a records check on him and learned he had a murder warrant, Sgt. Fabian Pacheco said Wednesday.

Detectives were called and booked Lopez on the murder counts. He was ordered held in jail on $1.25 million bail.

The warrant was for the March 1995 killings of Joel Tapia, 26, and Jose Urquides, 19, whose bodies were found in a Tucson alley. The two were shot to death, and a motive was not determined, Pacheco said.

Pacheco said detectives believe Lopez went to Mexico shortly after the killings and recently returned to Tucson.

Pacheco declined to comment on the sexual assault case against Lopez.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... 24-on.html

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/221958
This article says the guy also has an immigration hold. I don't understand why he is being held on a 1.25 million dollar bond. I know that's high, but didn't AZ voters get a law passed saying illegals who were accused of certain felonies must be held WITHOUT bail? I don't remember this law being changed to say they be held on a high bond, it specifically said no bond at all. What's the point of passing these laws when they aren't even followed? He went back to Mexico after being accused of murdering 2 people, and then just came back to commit more felonies, and is still offered the chance to get out of jail if he can post bail? Just like this law saying employers must verify the right to work in the US. So many loopholes that illegals are still happily working here, claiming 6 dependents so they have no taxes withheld during the year and simply don't file when the time comes, meaning they don't pay taxes.
I would love to know why this illegal is being offered bail. Are these multiple felonies just not considered "serious"?