The man that Houston police say was driving drunk and evading arrest when he crashed into a car, killing a young woman on her way home from the prom, is listed by federal officials as a previously deported illegal alien.
Breitbart Texas has learned that Edin Palacios-Rodas, a 27-year-old previously deported illegal alien from Guatemala, has now had an immigration detainer placed on him after being processed into the Harris County Jail on one count of felony murder and one county of felony evading resulting in death and serious bodily injury. Officials with the Houston office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations confirmed that Palacios illegally re-entered the United States after being deported in 2013.
ON Sunday, Breitbart Texas reported that Palacios allegedly led police on a short high-speed chase after members of the Houston Police Departments DWI Task Force observed him running over a center divider while making a U-Turn. The chase ended when Palacios allegedly ran a red light and crashed his pickup truck into a Dodge Charger driven by 18-year-old Moises Avila. The driver of the Charger was critically injured and had to be transported to the hospital after being cut out of the twisted wreckage.
His passenger, and prom date, was 18-year-old Jacelyn Valero. She was pronounced dead at the scene as it appeared her side of the car bore the brunt of the impact.
Palacios initially tried to run away from the scene after crawling out of his mangled pickup truck. He was quickly tackled by wrecker drivers and police, according to Harris County Police Reporter’s Scott Engle who arrived on the scene seconds after the crash.
Palacios spent Sunday in the hospital. He had sustained minor injuries in the crash he allegedly caused. He was booked into the Harris County Jail on Monday morning, jail records obtained by Breitbart Texas confirmed.
He is currently being held without bond on the two felony charges. Other charges including Aggravated Assault with a Motor Vehicle could also be filed for the injuries sustained by Avila. A DUI charge has also not yet been filed.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and is a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter@BobPriceBBTX.