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How would you feel if this happened in your city,county or state with illegal immigrants?

January 29th, 2010 Leave a comment Go to comments

Mo. town outraged over killings, illegal immigrant
http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2009/03/20/ap/us/d971tl300.txt
By JIM SALTER
HANNIBAL, Mo. – A Hannibal police officer was finishing up mundane paperwork on a quiet Saturday morning when Manuel Cazares walked into the station, blood splattered on his hands and shoes.

Cazares put his hands out, crossed them, and told the officer to arrest him.

"I killed two people," he allegedly said.

Details surrounding the allegations are far too common: an abusive relationship, a jilted lover, a sudden attack.

But some in this Mississippi River community of 17,000 best known as Mark Twain’s hometown aren’t just outraged by the violence. They also question why Cazares was in Hannibal at all.

Cazares admitted after his arrest that he is an illegal immigrant from the Mexican state of Michoacan. The 32-year-old had several run-ins with law enforcement before the homicides, but officials had never questioned his legal status.

Now he is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the Feb. 28 deaths of his ex-girlfriend, 27-year-old Amanda Thomas, and 25-year-old Carl Patrick Epley.

"I don’t know how this happens," said Tina White-Masengill, Thomas’ sister. "My stepdad told police many times, ‘I don’t even think the guy’s a legal citizen.’"

During his three years in Hannibal, Cazares managed to avoid detection, despite a few traffic violations and a property damage conviction after an arrest for allegedly beating up Thomas and tearing up her home. Thomas had a restraining order against Cazares, who got probation in the property-damage case.

Police say his name wasn’t in a database maintained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Police and Cazares’ boss also say he had authentic-looking identification, including a Social Security card. And police noted that Cazares speaks fluent English.

Cazares’ attorney did not return phone messages seeking comment. Cazares is being held in lieu of $1 million bond.

Hannibal police declined several interview requests from The Associated Press, but said soon after the killing that they had received several angry calls, some with racial overtones.

Days after the killings, rocks were thrown through plate-glass windows at the Mexican restaurant where Cazares worked. The FBI decided against opening a hate-crime investigation after concluding that it was vandalism, not retaliation.

Hundreds of messages related to the case were posted on the Hannibal Courier-Post Web site, with several questioning why authorities hadn’t been able to determine Cazares’ legal status before. One suggested police should conduct raids to seek out other illegal immigrants.

"Of course we have folks who say that’s unconstitutional and racial profiling so we have to ignore the problem until this sort of terrible tragedy takes place," the posting read. The newspaper eventually took down the postings.

At a news conference, police Capt. James Hark told reporters that tracking illegal immigrants is a federal responsibility. He said the department is sympathetic to the victims’ families, "but, in retrospect, there’s nothing in the system that would have prevented this from happening."

ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok said the agency seeks to work closely with local police to uncover illegal immigrants.

"When local law enforcement suspect that they have arrested an illegal alien on criminal charges, we encourage them to forward those suspicions to ICE, where we will make the appropriate determination whether that person is in the country legally or illegally, and whether he is deportable," Rusnok said.

The relationship between Cazares and Thomas had long been rocky, with Thomas seeking restraining orders in 2007 and again early last year. Marion County prosecutor Tom Redington said the first order was dismissed when Thomas failed to appear at a court hearing; the second was dismissed at her request.

Thomas made a third attempt around Thanksgiving and obtained a restraining order that was supposed to keep Cazares away from the small brick duplex where she lived with their 20-month-old son and a 7-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.

Yet neighbors said they often saw Cazares in the area.

"We pulled up one night and he drives up the street with his car lights off and just sits there watching her house," said neighbor Charles Thomas, who is not related to the victim.

In early February, Thomas told police she thought Cazares was stalking her. White-Masengill said her sister played cell phone messages for police, including one in which he said, "No one can love you like I do."

Redington said he didn’t have Cazares arrested immediately because of the "on-again, off-again nature of their relationship." He asked Thomas to obtain records that would show that Cazares had been calling her, but she never got the records.

According to court records, Cazares offered the following a

And yet another soild reason to DEPORT ILLEGALS.

Had the government done thier job this ILELGAL INVADER would not have killed these pepoe.

If I was the victims family I would file suit against the US Government for failing to uphold the immigration laws.

  1. GreasyTony
    January 29th, 2010 at 15:19 | #1

    Don’t know cause it’s never happend and just like they stated "Details surrounding the allegations are far too common: an abusive relationship, a jilted lover, a sudden attack."…..it doesn’t say it only happens to illegals, so I would be upset no matter what their immigration status.
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  2. Thomasina Paine
    January 29th, 2010 at 15:34 | #2

    I just wish somebody would get this scum out of my country!
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  3. catmaninmo II
    January 29th, 2010 at 15:54 | #3

    I would feel like the death penalty needs to be applied quickly and swiftly and those in law enforcement need some kind of discipline. Ms. Thomas had a restraining order against this person… did her no good, nor apparently, did any law to prevent this man from being in our state committing ANY crimes. Deportation is too nice and prison is an unnecessary expense, execute!
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  4. Starchie Bunker
    January 29th, 2010 at 16:06 | #4

    As "G. Tony" says there, this kind of attrocity can and occassionaly is done by anybody, not jusy illegals. That is true, sometimes American citizens commit attrocity such as that-even worse-but we do not need additional such horrible acts commited by those who have no right to even be in the country.And this shows brazeness and complete disrespect for U.S. laws by illegals. If ICE and local police were doing their job better this clown would never have had chance to commit this criminal act, but would have been hiding in his hole in the wall in fear…If I was relative of those victims I would sue the pants off of the local police & ICE for this needless loss of life.
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  5. ??Cheelicious???
    January 29th, 2010 at 16:46 | #5

    The same as if anyone had done it, would they be any less dead if a US citizen did it? "Occasionally" murders are done by US citizens. ? roflmao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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  6. dipstick
    January 29th, 2010 at 17:02 | #6

    Great, America has enough criminals and now we are importing more in, how nice. But I guess since Americans commit crimes, it’s justification for illegal invaders to commit heinous acts too. Flawed logic yes, but that’s the way we roll ; )
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  7. B__O__M__B__S__H__E__L__L
    January 29th, 2010 at 17:31 | #7

    Here is another story just like this ROCK HILL, S.C. — A man that sheriff’s deputies say was responsible for a three-state Amber Alert last month has been taken into custody.

    Gerardo Reyes Campos, 29, warned deputies who arrested him Tuesday night, that if they deport him again, he’ll come right back to Lancaster, officials said.

    Late Tuesday night, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division agents and Lancaster County sheriff’s deputies caught Campos in Rock Hill. They said he’d been on the run since February 19 when deputies say he repeatedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend with a kitchen knife inside her Lancaster home, and then left with their two daughters.

    Diane Madisol Trejo, 22, was found sitting on her front porch holding a bloody towel to her neck. She had gashes in her neck, face and hands.

    Deputies said Campos had just returned from Mexico. He’d been deported after being accused of assaulting Trejo once before.

    Hours after he left, deputies found the couple’s two young girls safe at a Lancaster apartment complex. Campos eluded authorities until his arrest behind the Lowes store on Dave Lyle Boulevard on Tuesday night.

    Sheriff Barry Faile would not get specific about how Campos was captured, except to say that an informant gave them information that led to the arrest.

    A month after the attack, friends of Trejo said she’s healing from her serious injuries and is relieved that Campos is in jail.

    "She’s so happy now," said friend Viviana Mora. "She wants him to stay there in jail for a long time.”

    Faile said the system meant to keep Campos out of this country failed.

    "We need him in jail. He’s been deported three different times, and he’s back here. It’s not working," he said.

    Faile said Campos is charged with assault and battery with intent to kill. If federal charges can be brought against him because of his immigration violations, he could stay locked up.

    "Hopefully we can prosecute and charge him in the federal system this time and be done with him," he said.

    Early Wednesday, the bond for Campos was denied.one.http://www.wsoctv.com/news/18958590/detail.html
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  8. mimi
    January 29th, 2010 at 18:07 | #8

    You know I know that there are decent illegals living here but this is the reason I want them to be deported and then and only then we can discuss who gets to come back on a work detail and who can keep their sorry @sses out of our country unless they want to be shot on site.
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  9. MD2be
    January 29th, 2010 at 18:38 | #9

    So sad indeed somebody needs to act!
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  10. angel1923_2005
    January 29th, 2010 at 18:45 | #10

    Just because you found an article about an "illegal immigrant" that murdered people does not mean that you have to judge all of them for what 1 man did! What about charles manson? He was white. What about all of the other "legal" killers out there? Are they considered better than the "illegals"? A black man in Gautier, MS. raped and decapitated a 5 year old girl , is that OK, just because he’s "legal"? My point is that you are assuming that ALL immigrants are no good just because of that article, when in reality there are NO GOOD people in every color and culture no matter what their legal status is!
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    I know several hard working "illegals" that stay out of trouble , and love to help people in many ways!

  11. I.C.E. Man
    January 29th, 2010 at 19:08 | #11

    And yet another soild reason to DEPORT ILLEGALS.

    Had the government done thier job this ILELGAL INVADER would not have killed these pepoe.

    If I was the victims family I would file suit against the US Government for failing to uphold the immigration laws.
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    REPORT AND DEPORT

    WHAT PART OF ILLEGAL DO PEOPLE NOT UNDERSTAND?!?!?

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