Witnesses: SUV Driver Fondling Woman Before Crash (killed 8 of 14 illegal aliens in car)

KUTV (Utah) ^ | April 17, 2007

[Stoat]

Apr 17, 2007 8:30 pm US/Mountain

Witnesses: SUV Driver Fondling Woman Before Crash

BLUFF Federal authorities filed a criminal charge Tuesday against the driver of a sport utility vehicle that crashed in southeastern Utah, killing eight illegal immigrants packed inside.

Rigoberto Salas-Lopez, 30, was charged with one count of transporting illegal immigrants resulting in death. Eight of the 14 people in the Chevy Suburban died after it rolled several times on U.S. 191 a few hours before dawn Monday.

Authorities determined that the driver and passengers were from Guatemala and Mexico. Salas-Lopez was arrested after fleeing into the desert after the crash in the Four Corners area of Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado.

He said he was given the vehicle by a man in Phoenix who offered him $1,000 to drive the people to St. Louis from Phoenix, according to an affidavit by Timothy Chard, an agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Salas also stated that he knew the individuals in the vehicle were from Mexico and Guatemala and that they were in the United States illegally,” Chard wrote.

Six men and two women were killed. Four men and one woman were injured and taken to hospitals.

Some survivors told agents that Salas-Lopez was fondling a woman before the crash – accounts that contradict his claim that he was trying to avoid hitting an animal.

“According to interviews by ICE that potentially was not the case,” said Lt. Todd Peterson of the Utah Highway Patrol. “The driver was involved in fondling or groping a female in the vehicle and that was the potential reason for the distracted driving.”

But Peterson added that some survivors did mention a horse or some other animal in the road.

Salas-Lopez will appear Wednesday in federal court in Salt Lake City. If convicted, the possible penalties range from prison to a death sentence.

The highways and back roads of southeastern Utah are popular corridors to move illegal immigrants and drugs, said Peterson, who is the police agency’s area lieutenant for San Juan and Grand counties.

“It’s a daily occurrence,” he said.

“We are limited as to what our response can be when we encounter these individuals. Our local jails and correctional facilities cannot house the number of people we’re dealing with and ICE has limited resources,” Peterson said. “It’s a Catch-22 situation.”

He said he oversees eight troopers and sergeants for a two-county area that includes 650 miles of state roads.

On Oct. 11, 2005, a van loaded with 16 people, all but one in the U.S. illegally, rolled on U.S. 191 near Moab in Grand County, killing two. The driver was sentenced to two years in federal prison.

[Stoat]

Giving credit where it's due...I found this article because it was linked at Orbusmax

Orbusmax ™ Northwest News - 'Around The World In 80K'

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Video available at KUTV site

kutv.com - Witnesses SUV Driver Fondling Woman Before Crash

 

Rigoberto Salas Lopez

KUTV

[since1868]

I read this and i wonder if it was Bill Clinton really the driver.

[Stoat]

Our local jails and correctional facilities cannot house the number of people we’re dealing with and ICE has limited resources,”

Solution:  Phone Sheriff Joe Arpaio.  He may have some extra tents that he can lease to the State of Utah for a nice outdoorsy correctional facility.

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office

 

[BigCinBigD]

Damn. I hate to see that happen. To a nice Suburban.

[Tricky j]

Let him go if this isn’t his sixth arrest.

I bet President Bush pardons him BEFORE he pardons the border patrol agents.

[taxesareforever]

Yep, he looks like a fondler to me.

[miliantnutcase]

Here I thought this was gonna be an SUV that fondled a woman on it’s own. That would of been weird.

[Thinkin' Gal]

I read this and i wonder if it was Bill Clinton really the driver.

I read the title and thought it was a new revelation about the Corzine crash. Ooops.

[Bernard]

Rigoberto Salas-Lopez, 30, was charged with one count of transporting illegal immigrants resulting in death.

Was that the actual crime being charged - transporting illegal immigrants resulting in death? If so, how come eight people died and there was only one count?

[atomic conspiracy]

....here to have wrecks Americans won’t have.

[since1868]

Its funny whenever something happens in the news we can always put a lib in the blank LOL

[Dallas59]

Is fondling a woman in an SUV more of a crime now than being an illegal?

[GoldCountryRedneck]

“It’s a daily occurrence,” he said.

Fondling? SUV roll-overs?? SUV roll-overs while fondling???

Very confused reporting...

[singfreedom]

I bet it just killed the MSM to admit that this SUV had a driver.

Six of these “illegal aliens” were killed, right? All but the driver went to the hospital, at taxpayer expense no doubt. Will they be deported when they get out of the hospital? I certainly hope so, or was this ICE guy preparing everyone for their release by giving all of the “no arrest” excuses?

[Stoat]

Illegal Immigration While Fondling Ping

[Dumpster Baby]

He was just fondling illegal aliens that Americans won’t fondle.

[singfreedom]

ROTF, good one!

[umgud]

It would be nearly impossible NOT to fondle someone with 14 people in a Suburban.

[mkmensinger]

I thought this was another Corzine story. :^)

[BigCinBigD]

"It would be nearly impossible NOT to fondle someone with 14 people in a Suburban" Especially since most were probably sewn in to the seats.