Report: Immigrant in country illegally charged with murder
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Mexican immigrant in the U.S. illegally despite being deported repeatedly is facing murder and other charges in the traffic-collision death of a Los Angeles woman, the Southern California News Group reported.
Estuardo Alvarado, 45, is accused of killing Sandra Duran, 42, in a T-bone collision while fleeing the scene of another crash on the rainy afternoon of Feb. 19 in North Hills.
He was charged with five felonies including murder and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and pleaded not guilty at his Feb. 22 arraignment. He was being held in lieu of more than $2 million bail.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has taken action against Alvarado for years, the Southern California News Group reported Monday (http://bit.ly/2mfrr9K).
"Department of Homeland Security databases indicate Mr. Alvarado has been removed to Mexico five times since 1998, most recently in 2011," ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice said in a statement.
Citing court records, the news group reported that since 1990 Alvarado has been charged with more than 20 felonies and misdemeanors including being a felon in possession of a weapon, possession of marijuana for sale, the sale or transport of a controlled substance and driving under the influence.
He was convicted or pleaded guilty to several charges over the years, including driving under the influence, possession of marijuana for sale and misdemeanor hit-and-run, court documents show.
The remaining cases were either dismissed, not prosecuted or the conclusions were unclear, the news group said.
At the time of the crash, Alvarado was driving a Dodge Durango, tried to pass cars and struck a parked vehicle, then hit Duran's car while attempting to leave the scene at high speed, police said.
Two police officers in the area and witnesses rushed to help but could not save Duran.
Her son, Christian Galban, 18, and his girlfriend, Stephanie Garcia, were also in the car and suffered injuries.
Alvarado also was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries.
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Information from: (Los Angeles) Daily News, http://www.dailynews.com
