JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Guatemalan man who has been deported twice before was captured Tuesday night in Jacksonville following the death of a deputy.
Action News Jax was the only station there as multiple agencies surrounded part of the Atlantic Self Storage – almost 40 miles from where Deputy Eric Oliver was killed in the initial chase.
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"This is some distance from there, so clearly someone was cooperating, explaining to law enforcement where he was," said Actin News Jax law and safety expertDale Carson .
Carson said it’s unclear why Francisco Obbidio Portillo-Fuentes was here in the United States.
“Were they workers, were they smugglers, we don’t have an answer to that question, but what I will tell you it’s not unusual for individuals who are stopped in a circumstance at a border patrol to flee, that’s not unusual at all, that’s typical,” said Carson.
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The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office said Portillo-Fuentes had been deported from the United States twice. But, Carson said it’s not difficult for someone to reenter.
“If he’s been deported twice, he is in a criminal status when he comes back to this country. People want to live in the United States, particularly when their leaving places like Guatemala where it’s difficult. They want to live here so they can make a living,” said Carson.
Carson said not only could Portillo-Fuentes be charged with felony murder, but the other suspects who were in the car with him.
“Under the circumstances, the officer was killed while he was trying to make an arrests on an individual who fled,” Carson said.
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