…and local law enforcement, the epitome of
cooperation—NOT!
Case in point is Isidro Pena Soto, an illegal immigrant who,
despite probably never having had a driver’s license, is
responsible for the traffic death of Antioch resident Kent Boone.
But that’s not
all:
Pena, who has used at least three other names, has been
arrested or convicted at least nine times dating to 2003, including
three for drunken driving, according to the state Department of
Motor Vehiclesand the Solano County District Attorney’s Office.
The fatal accident came on the two-year anniversary of the
Department of Motor Vehicles’ notifying Pena by mail that his
license was suspended for DUI, according to DMV records. It’s not
clear why those same records indicate that he had no license and
possibly never has, at least under that name.
He has been convicted six times of driving without a
license.
Pena was convicted twice for DUI in Contra Costa County, in 2003
and 2005, and for a felony narcotics count in Contra Costa in 2005,
according to the DMV and the Solano County District Attorney’s
Office. He was convicted of DUI in Solano County in 2005.
Records do not show the circumstances of his release. Many
people arrested for misdemeanor DUI are released with a citation
after a short time in jail.
Of course, no one can explain how Pena “slipped through the
cracks.”
ICE personnel routinely visit County Jail in Martinez
to check the immigration status of arrestees there, as well as in
other major metropolitan areas.
The California Highway Patrol checked and determined that Pena
was an illegal immigrant during the investigation of the March 31
accident because officers could not verify he had a valid
identification, said Solano County CHP spokesman Marvin
Williford.
An ICE spokeswoman said no one ever told the agency about
Pena.
“Cases like this certainly underscore why we want to encourage
local law enforcement agencies to tell us when they encounter
foreign nationals with multiple prior convictions for crimes that
certainly present a potential threat to public safety,” said
Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for the federal Immigration and
Customs Enforcement agency….
Police departments that confront large immigrant populations say
they have worked to build credibility with them and have responded
to any perception that they target people because of their
immigration status.
“The only time it’s a relevant issue is if someone is charged
with a crime and we incarcerate them,” said Concord police Lt.
David Chilimidos.
“We actually treat everybody like they were here legally,” said
Richmond police Capt. Alec Griffin. “We don’t make contacts with
ICE just in the course of normal business.”
Richmond police have not participated in ICE roundups of
suspected illegal immigrants and have stopped daylight traffic
checkpoints aimed at street criminals — because immigrants feared
they were the targets, Griffin said.
How Pena remained free despite multiple journeys through the
legal system, including in Contra Costa and Solano counties,
remains a mystery.
Is it really a “mystery”, or just so damn embarassing that the
officials are pretending that they are stumped?
