An illegal immigrant is being accused of killing three people in Missouri, but he had been previously jailed and released in New Jersey on domestic violence charges, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. ICE said he should have faced deportation proceedings instead of being released.
ICE had placed a detainer on Luis Rodrigo Perez, 23, a Mexican national, while he was in police custody in December 2017, said ICE acting Executive Director Corey Price. The request wasn’t honored by Middlesex County officials and the agency wasn’t notified when he was released.
“Had ICE’s detainer request in December 2017 been honored by Middlesex County Jail, Luis Rodrigo Perez would have been placed in deportation proceedings and likely sent home to his country ... and three innocent people might be alive today. It is past time that localities realize the perils of dangerous sanctuary policies and resume their primary goal of protecting their residents.”
Last year, Middlesex County adopted a policy that honors detainer requests from ICE if the inmate has previously been convicted of a first- or second-degree offense or was the subject of a final order of deportation signed by a federal judge, according to AP.
“This order would have authorized Middlesex County to turn over custody of Mr. Perez prior to, or upon completion of his sentence,” officials wrote to AP. “Instead ICE officials chose to do nothing, which places all responsibility of Mr. Perez’s actions squarely upon ICE.”
County officials said ICE didn’t request an order to deport Perez.
Missouri officials say Perez and Aaron Anderson, 19, killed their former roommates Steven Marler, 38, and Aaron Hampton, 23, after they were both kicked out. Perez also allegedly killed 21-year-old Sabrina Starr the next day at her home.
Perez’s girlfriend, Dalia Garcia, 23, was charged with tampering with evidence, AP reported.
