An illegal alien, protected by New York’s sanctuary state policy, is accused of murdering a 15-year-old boy and injuring his younger brother and mother in the small town of Somers, New York.

Fernando Andres Jimenez Meza, a 40-year-old Chilean illegal alien previously deported from the United States, has been arrested by New York State Police after a 12-hour manhunt and charged with murdering 15-year-old Michael Raimondi and the attempted murder of his mother, 38-year-old Christina Raimondi, and his little brother, 13-year-old Matthew Raimondi.

According to police, on Oct. 28 in Somers, Meza shot Christina Raimondi and her two sons. Michael Raimondi was killed. His mother and little brother remain in the hospital, recovering from serious injuries as a result of the shooting.

Reports now reveal that Meza was protected from federal immigration law thanks to New York’s sanctuary state policy.

Meza first crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in August 2004, near Tecate, California, and claimed to be a Mexican national named Erik Melendez-Arellano. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials confirmed that Meza voluntarily returned to Mexico.

At a later date, unknown to ICE officials, Meza crossed the border as a “got-away.”

In September 2018, Meza was arrested in Yonkers, New York, and charged with drunk driving. He was released from jail after paying a $500 fine, shielded from being taken into ICE custody thanks to New York’s sanctuary state policy.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) told the New York Post that if Meza had been turned over to ICE agents back in 2018, Michael Raimondi would be alive today.

“The suspect in this horrific crime … could have and should have been deported long ago after his arrest for drunk driving in Yonkers in 2018,” Lawler said:

He should have been handed over to ICE. Instead, Westchester County’s sanctuary status prevents law enforcement from coordinating with federal immigration authorities. As a result, a violent criminal was protected from deportation and remained in our community. [Emphasis added]

Meza, facing second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder charges, remains in Westchester County Jail. ICE agents have placed a detainer on him, requesting custody.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.