(DailyAnswer.org) – A Mexican man, who had been deported 16 times from the United States, has been sentenced to just one year in prison after causing a fatal crash in Conifer, Colorado. The crash killed 64-year-old Scott Miller, leaving his family devastated and outraged by the outcome.
The man responsible, 47-year-old Ignacio Cruz-Mendoza, was arrested in June for vehicular homicide. Despite this, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office decided to charge Cruz-Mendoza only with misdemeanor traffic violations. This decision allowed him to plead guilty to the lesser charges, making him eligible for just a one-year sentence for the deadly crash.
“I’m mad because the most this man could get is a year for murdering my husband because the DA refused to charge him with more serious offenses,” Miller’s widow, Deann, told local media. Her frustration reflects a broader concern about the justice system, especially when it comes to repeat offenders like Cruz-Mendoza.
The crash occurred while Cruz-Mendoza was driving a semi-truck for Monique Trucking, a company based in Indio, California. While traveling on Highway 285 near Conifer, Cruz-Mendoza lost control of the truck, which veered off the road. The cargo he was transporting, including heavy pipes and iron, spilled onto the roadway, smashing into five vehicles. One of those vehicles carried Scott Miller, who was killed at the scene. Another driver was seriously injured but survived.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials confirmed that Cruz-Mendoza is an illegal alien who has been deported 16 times to Mexico over the last 20 years. His first deportation happened in May 2002 after he was arrested in Oregon. Despite multiple deportations, Cruz-Mendoza repeatedly re-entered the U.S., likely through the porous southern border.
Following his recent arrest, ICE officials have placed a detainer on Cruz-Mendoza. This means they intend to take him into custody again after his prison sentence, presumably to deport him once more. However, with his long record of returning after deportation, many are left wondering if this cycle will ever be broken.
This tragic event highlights concerns about border security and the effectiveness of current policies in preventing dangerous individuals from re-entering the country. For families like the Millers, it’s difficult to feel that justice has truly been served when someone with such a long history of violations receives so little time behind bars.
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