Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is urging Florida authorities to hold Carlos Suarez Contreras, a Venezuelan national charged in a fatal crash that killed an 82-year-old grandmother, according to documents obtained by the Daily Caller.

On May 17, Suarez Contreras allegedly backed his vehicle into Deborah Murphy while she was walking back to her car in a crosswalk outside a Publix in Panama City Beach, Florida. After striking Murphy, he reportedly continued reversing. Murphy, an 82-year-old grandmother and retired teacher, died as a result of the incident.

Suarez Contreras and his front-seat passenger, Luis Sanabria Perez, were both found to be in the United States illegally. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Suarez Contreras on May 17, and ICE lodged a detainer against him the following day.

Documents reveal that Suarez Contreras remained in the country after his authorized stay expired and applied for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in August 2021. He was initially released into the U.S. by Customs and Border Protection near Blythe, California, in November 2021 under the Biden administration.

A Florida family has spoken out demanding justice for Murphy, emphasizing that the tragedy was preventable. ICE has highlighted that such incidents could be avoided if illegal aliens were not present in the country.

Sources