Tampa Police: Drunken Illegal Immigrant Killed Pedestrian



Published: February 15, 2009



Alex Perez-Escalante
TAMPA - A teenager leaving a nightclub on Armenia Avenue was arrested Sunday morning, accused of driving under the influence, striking and killing a pedestrian then driving away, according to a Tampa Police Department arrest report.

Alex Perez-Escalante, 18, was charged with DUI manslaughter, leaving the scene of a crash involving a death and having no valid driver's license. According to a criminal arrest affidavit, Perez-Escalante is an illegal immigrant and has no known local address.

Tampa police give this account of what happened at 3:09 a.m. outside of the Palladium nightclub, 5302 N. Armenia Ave.:

Perez-Escalante got into an argument with patrons inside the club and was hit in the head with a bottle. He left the club and crossed the street to get his 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe.

As he pulled out of the parking lot, someone outside of the club fired shots at him and threw glass bottles at Perez-Escalante's sport utility vehicle. As this happened, Perez-Escalante lost control of the SUV and hit a pedestrian who was walking in the parking lot and pinned him against the outside wall of the nightclub.

The pedestrian, whose name was not listed in arrest reports, was not involved in the incident inside or outside the Palladium. The pedestrian died at the scene.

Perez-Escalante then drove south on Armenia Avenue and parked the SUV behind a building on the 4600 block. He continued to walk south on Armenia when officers found him and questioned him.
Perez-Escalante was being held Sunday night without bail at Orient Road Jail.


http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/feb/15 ... -breaking/