(JACKSON, N.J.) --- ICE has requested that two women, following their arrests in connection with a fatal collision in a grocery store parking lot that killed a 9-month-old boy, be held in custody.
Maria CobonGuzman, 20, a Guatemalan citizen who has never possessed a driver’s license, was charged with manslaughter and two counts of assault by auto after reportedly striking a mother with two children in a Jackson Township NPGS grocery store parking lot.
Photo: Maria CobonGuzman, 20, mugshot after the fatal accident
The 9-month-old baby was in a stroller alongside his 5-year-old sister, being pushed by their mother, when a Ford Fusion sedan struck them around 11:55 a.m..
All three individuals were taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center, where the baby was pronounced dead, and the mother and daughter remained hospitalized but in stable condition.
Jackson Township’s Mayor Jennifer Kuhn released a statement on Facebook speaking about the “heart-wrenching event.”
Photo: Jackson Township Mayor Jennifer Kahn's Facebook post
“This past Friday, our community experienced a tragic loss with the passing of a beloved child…,” Kuhn said in the post that gathered dozens of condolences, “As a community, it is essential for us to come together and provide support to this family.”
Ariadna Lazaro-Flores, 22, who resides in Toms River but is originally from Mexico, was also charged in connection with the fatal crash. Lazaro-Flores was accused of knowing CobonGuzman did not have a valid driver's license but still allowed her to drive.
Photo: Ariadna Lazaro-Flores, 22, mugshot after fatal accident
Lazaro-Flores is formally charged with knowingly engaging in conduct creating a substantial risk to another after she allowed CobonGuzman to drive her vehicle.
Ocean County Jail records identify CobonGuzman as a citizen of Guatemala. However, those records do not indicate whether CobonGuzman entered the United States legally or illegally. On August 30, federal immigration detainers were lodged against both CobonGuzman and Lazaro-Flores. This came after the women were taken into custody on criminal charges.
An immigration detainer is a formal request from ICE to a federal, state or local law enforcement agency to hold an individual in custody for up to 48 hours after their initial release date.
ICE uses these detainers to enforce the removal of illegal immigrants in a safe and controlled environment. ICE also noted that public arrests can be “unpredictable and dangerous to the public”; therefore, it is safer to remove them in a “private environment.”
To add to or correct any information in this report or to share tips or a story, please contact me at alexis.n@lead4earth.org.
0
0
Comments