The family of a young girl allegedly slain by an illegal migrant drunk driver who disobeyed deportation orders is speaking out about their tragedy.
Brayan Josue Alva Rodriguez, an illegal migrant from Guatemala with a history of DUI arrests since arriving in the U.S., allegedly got intoxicated again in late November and struck another vehicle in a head-on collision in San Diego County, California, according to local reporting. The crash left eight-year-old Arya Cruz Acencio deceased, two of her siblings hospitalized and her father in critical condition.
Arya’s mom, Jackie Acencio, who was also involved in the crash, described the moment she realized her daughter had passed away.
“I didn’t see her breathing,” Acencio said to Fox News. “She just looked like she was sleeping, but at that moment I wasn’t thinking like ‘Oh, she’s dead,’ you know. I just kind’ve didn’t think about it.”
“And I was like ‘Oh wait, she’s really gone,’ and I’m still processing that,” the angel mom continued.
Alva Rodriguez was arrested by Border Patrol agents for unlawful entry into the country around Calexico, California, in February 2018, according to a statement released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He was ultimately served with a notice to appear before an immigration judge and released into the U.S.
The Guatemalan national was then charged with two different DUIs, once on Sept. 6, 2020, and again on April 7, 2021, according to ICE. An immigration judge ordered Alva Rodriguez to be removed from the country on Mar. 16, 2023, but he failed to leave.
“ICE San Diego is tracking the case closely,” the agency stated in December, adding that it would be placing a detainer on Alva Rodriguez the moment he’s formally charged. “We will continue to pursue and remove dangerous individuals who threaten the safety of our community.”
Oscar Cruz Acencio, Arya’s dad and a U.S. Marine, had one of his legs amputated above the knee and is currently recovering from traumatic brain injuries at a San Diego hospital. The family was in the process of moving, carrying all of their belongings in their vehicle, when Alva Rodriguez allegedly struck them in a head-on collision on Nov. 30, according to a GoFundMe for the family.
“We didn’t deserve it. Nobody does,” Jackie stated to Fox News. “I care very deeply for these people that want to have a better life, I really do, but I have no sympathy for the driver that hit me and my family.”
The entire state of California is considered a haven for illegal migrants, according to a running list of sanctuary jurisdictions published by the Department of Justice. San Diego County, which has passed incredibly harsh anti-ICE laws, is also identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction by federal officials.
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