Twenty-seven-year-old Jorge Flores-Villalba is charged with causing the death of 35-year-old Marie Osai on Christmas eve, then fleeing in Stony Point, New York.
He reportedly told investigators: “I was driving and I did strike a person. I didn’t call the police. I was afraid because I don’t have a license.”
Stony Point Supervisor Jim Monaghan blamed Albany lawmakers for the controversial decision last month. He says “logistically, it made sense to release the defendant at this time based on the new laws that go into effect Jan. 1.”
ICE arrested Flores-Villalba on December 30th.
The agency says he was previously apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol in 2008 when he attempted to enter the country illegally, and was subsequently returned to Mexico. Flores-Villalba re-entered the country illegally at an unknown date and time following that encounter.
ICE New York Field Office Director Thomas Decker says:
“ICE understands people in this community are alarmed about the release of this individual after being arrested for a crime of this heart-breaking nature. This is exactly why ICE and local law enforcement agencies should cooperate to the utmost extent possible and not be limited on how we work together. Creating laws and policies that prevent cooperation between law enforcement agencies just to promote their political agenda, places the safety of the public in danger. Due to the hard work of our officers, we were able to find and arrest this accused criminal, but there are countless others who are released without ICE even knowing, or whom it may take a great amount of resources to find for arrest.”
Flores-Villalba is expected to remain in ICE custody pending his removal proceedings.