Prosecutors are seeking homicide charges against a teenager they say was in the United States illegally when he caused a fatal accident in Mobile earlier this week.
According to District Attorney Ashley Rich, 16-year-old Domingo Francisco Marcos was involved in a head-on collision on U.S. 98 Monday, March 18, that caused the death of Sonya Jones. Rich’s office said the wreck occurred after the car Marcos was driving crossed the center turn lane.
Police reported Marcos attempted to flee the scene but collapsed due to his injuries and was taken to USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital for surgery. He was arrested Wednesday on charges of homicide by vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident with injuries.
There was no indication from prosecutors that Marcos was driving under the influence, but vehicular homicide has been considered a class c felony in Alabama since 2017. The law strengthened punishments for fatal car crashes involving things like texting or speeding.
It comes with a possible sentence of up to nine years in prison depending on the severity of the crime, though prosecutors have not said what circumstances led to Monday’s fatal accident.
Marcos Francisco, 16, was charged with vehicular homicide after a fatal accident in Mobile, March 18.
According to Rich, Marcos was in the U.S. illegally and had previously gone through deportation proceedings after he was apprehended by immigration officials in Arizona two years ago.
“Marcos was in the process of being deported back to Guatemala when he claimed asylum and was released. He was given a court date to appear on his claim of asylum and subsequently failed to appear at that court date,” a statement from Rich’s office reads. “The next contact he had with law enforcement was at the scene of the crash on Monday.”
Marcos was booked into the Mobile County Metro Jail late Wednesday afternoon.
He has a bond hearing scheduled Friday in District Court, though prosecutors say they’ll be requesting that no bond be granted, given Marcos’ history of failing to appear for court proceedings.
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