Prosecutors push to have Guaman face state charges first

By Brian Benson/Daily News staff
Milford Daily News
Posted Jan 27, 2012 @ 12:13 PM
Last update Jan 27, 2012 @ 11:56 PM

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Pablo Guaman, 37, of Milford, right, is arraigned in Milford District Court Thursday, Jan. 26. Police say Pablo Guaman lent his pickup truck to his brother, Nicolas Guaman, who then struck and killed Matthew Denice of Milford last August. At left is defense attorney Mark Clifford.

MILFORD —

One day after being placed in custody by federal immigration officials, Pablo Dutan Guaman was back in Milford District Court yesterday for a status hearing in an effort to keep him in the country.

At the request of prosecutors, Judge Robert Calagione yesterday ordered Guaman held in state custody without bail until a hearing Monday.

Calagione released Guaman without bail Thursday at his arraignment, but he was handcuffed in the courthouse lobby by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

The agency confirmed Guaman was put in state custody yesterday.

“ICE is working on this issue very closely with the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office,” spokesman Ross Feinstein said.

Feinstein said ICE placed a detainer on Guaman that requests law enforcement hold him 48 hours beyond the time he would normally have been released.

Prosecutors asked for yesterday’s hearing to put Guaman in state custody before any immigration action is taken so he can face the state charge, said Timothy Connolly, a spokesman for the District Attorney’s Office.

“We don’t know what ICE would do,” Connolly said. “That would be their prerogative. We wanted to keep him in state custody so he could answer to (the state charge).”

Mark Clifford, Guaman’s defense attorney, said he did not object to holding Guaman without bail over the weekend.

Guaman, 37, of 26 Water St., Apt. 2, Milford, is accused of allowing an unlicensed driver to use the pickup truck that hit and killed Milford’s Matthew Denice.

Guaman is thought to be in the United States illegally, according to ICE.

Police have said Guaman’s brother, Nicolas, an illegal immigrant from Ecuador, was driving the Ford F-150 last August when it struck a motorcycle driven by Denice, 23, dragging him a quarter of a mile.

Pablo Dutan Guaman is due back in court Monday for a pretrial conference. Yesterday’s hearing was abbreviated because a Spanish interpreter was not available.

Brian Benson can be reached at 508-634-7582 or bbenson@wickedlocal.com.

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