A suspected illegal immigrant who police say killed a cyclist with his car has a criminal past.
FOX23 was the first and only media outlet to report this information Thursday night.
Court records show 28-year-old Roberto Alvelais-Torres has been jailed three times in Tulsa County for several charges, including DUI and non-injury hit-and-run.
Now he’s charged in Tuesday’s hit-and-run that killed 74-year-old Beverly Duffield.
So tonight we ask: How are Oklahoma’s immigration laws being enforced?
FOX23’s Abbie Alford has been digging into this story to learn more information.
A 577 page report details all the crimes linked to suspected illegal immigrants in Tulsa County in just the past couple of years.
Since June, 2007 6,146 suspected illegal immigrants have been arrested and 2,722 were charged with crimes.
The report shows most of their run-ins were with Tulsa Police.
FOX23’s initial findings from the documents show since June 2007 most of the suspected illegal immigrants who have been arrested in Tulsa County and inside the city limits have been put behind bars because of Driving Under the Influence of a drug or alcohol and Public Intoxication.
Drug offenses are also common but so is Driving Without a License and Insurance.
Looking at one arrest Galvan Rufino spent only five months in state prison for a hit-and-run, which the report says, caused great bodily injury.
There are also a number of reports showing suspected illegals jailed for minor traffic offenses such as speeding or failing to use a turn signal.
In the initial report there are few reports of suspected illegals tied to violent crimes.
However, 27-year-old Rosalio Morin is serving a nine-year prison sentence for sexually abusing a child.
A new state law designed to cut down on prison overcrowding allows convicted illegal immigrants to be deported after serving two-thirds of their prison time.
For Morin, that would mean he could be released in about five years.
Oklahoma’s HB 1804 which went into effect November 2007, makes it one of the toughest immigration laws in nation.
Currently, there is a federal injunction against employers who fail to comply with HB 1804. It regards employers and verification of their workers immigration status.
However, under 1804 you could be charged for knowingly housing and transporting an illegal immigrant.
There is a separate federal case that says HB 1804 is completely illegal and has moved to the State Supreme Court.
Since Oklahoma HB 1804 passed only one person has been charged with transporting an illegal immigrant. In that case a Tillman County judge deferred the case and there was no conviction.
