ICE: Suspect in woman's murder had been deported in 2013
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- A Connecticut man accused of stabbing two women, one fatally, before fleeing the state with his six-year-old daughter on Friday was deported in 2013, reports CBS affiliate WFSB, citing federal immigration officials.
Oscar Hernandez is accused of murdering 26-year-old Nidia Gonzales – the child’s mother – and stabbing a second woman at a Bridgeport home before fleeing with the girl, Aylin Sofia Hernandez, triggering a multi-state Amber Alert. Hernandez was taken into custody Friday in Pennsylvania after a high-speed chase and crash on Interstate 99. His daughter, Aylin Sofia Hernandez, suffered minor injuries in the crash, authorities said.
She was taken into the care of state child protective services.
Rowena White, a spokeswoman for the Bridgeport police, said it wasn’t clear when Hernandez would be returned to Connecticut. She said investigators were working with Pennsylvania authorities on the matter. Hernandez was being held by the Pennsylvania State Police as a fugitive from justice and also faces charges in that state.
The Hartford Courant reports investigators in Bridgeport have obtained a warrant charging Hernandez with murder.
Meanwhile, White said Bridgeport officers were also investigating details surrounding his immigration status.
Federal immigration officials said Hernandez had been deported Nov. 27, 2013. A citizen of El Salvador, he has prior felony convictions including assault and threat dating back to 2002. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had placed a detainer on him.
ICE also said he has a number of misdemeanor convictions, reports WFSB. It’s not clear how he re-entered the country.
Hernandez’s capture in Pennsylvania came days after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy issued an executive order instructing police chiefs not to take action solely to enforce federal immigration laws. The Democratic governor said the federal government cannot mandate states to investigate or enforce actions that have no connection to the enforcement of state laws.
Asked about the Hernandez case Saturday, Malloy spokeswoman Kelly Donnelly told The Associated Press that “convicted violent felons are detained for deportation under our state laws that the governor has consistently and strongly supported.”
Malloy issued the order in response to the crackdown by Republican President Donald Trump and his administration on immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. Trump’s chief spokesman, Sean Spicer, called Malloy’s order “concerning” and “troubling.”
At the time, Donnelly said the U.S. Constitution provides clear guidance on states’ rights. She said Spicer and the Trump administration “would benefit from a Civics 101 refresher.”
