DUI arrest may lead to deportation

Kyle Magin
Bonanza Staff Writer
March 26, 2008

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A man arrested for DUI in Incline Village last week is being sent to a federal immigration court and may be deported, said an official with the US Immigration and Custom Enforcement.

Washoe County Sheriff's office deputies arrested Antonio Sandoval-Perez, 31, on Tuesday, March 18, for driving under the influence of alcohol, having an open alcohol container in the vehicle and driving without a license.

Once the native of Guatemala was booked at the Washoe County detention facility, his case was flagged for attention because of his illegal immigration status, said Washoe County Sheriff public information officer Deputy Brooke Keast.

At that point, Keast said an officer from ICE took Sandoval-Perez into custody.

Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for ICE, said the agent took Sandoval-Perez to Florence, Ariz. There he will await trial in front of an immigration judge. A trial date has not yet been set, according to Kice.

"Often what happens is that when an illegal immigrant offends and is in the justice system, local law enforcement alerts us," Kice said. "Our goal is to make sure offenders don't get back on the streets and do get deported when they break the law in this country."