The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a notice on Tuesday (August 18) requesting Jackson County officials in North Carolina not to release an illegal immigrant accused of hit-and-run resulting in a death. The incident occurred on August 2 in Sylva, North Carolina, where James Robert Bagley III, 51, was struck by a car and fatally injured before the driver fled the scene. Bagley was pronounced dead on the spot.
The suspect, Mauricio Josue Alberto Sarmiento from Honduras, was arrested by the Sylva Police Department on August 7. Sarmiento faces charges of felony hit-and-run resulting in death, uninsured driving, driving on a revoked license, speeding, and failure to reduce speed. Upon Sarmiento’s arrest, ICE issued a detention request to the Jackson County Jail.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated, “This illegal immigrant from Honduras is charged with felony hit-and-run resulting in death and other offenses in Sylva, North Carolina. ICE requests cooperation from Jackson County officials to not release this criminal without notifying ICE.”
According to DHS, Sarmiento illegally entered the United States through Texas in October 2021 as an unaccompanied minor and was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol. The federal government arranged for him to reunite with an “unrelated sponsor” and released him into the U.S.
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This translated and expanded article provides more context and details about the incident involving an illegal immigrant in North Carolina. The DHS’s stance on the matter and the legal proceedings following the tragic events are highlighted in the rewritten version.