Friday, February 22, 2008
Illegal Immigrant Kills Four,
Others Hospitalized In Cottonwood, MN
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are trying to figure out the true identity of the woman who drove a van that hit a school bus in a crash that killed four children in Minnesota.
A special agent in charge of investigations says the woman, identified as Alianiss Morales, is from Mexico, and his agency believes she may be in the country illegally. But authorities say Morales is not the woman's real name.
Prosecutors say she failed to stop at a stop sign Tuesday before hitting the bus, which was carrying 28 students from Lakeview School in Cottonwood.
According to a criminal complaint, Morales told police through an interpreter that she stopped at the stop sign. The bus driver told police it appeared the van wasn't going to stop.
Morales faces four counts of criminal vehicular homicide and two lesser charges.
Alianiss Morales, or whatever the hell her real name is.
A Memorial Service was held Thursday night. KELO:
Hours before the prayer service, the woman who was driving a van that hit the bus, causing it to tip over, was arrested. Twenty-three-year-old Alianiss Morales did not have a driver's licence; she's being held for Criminal Vehicular Operation.
[...]
People who attended Thursday night's prayer service think she should be behind bars, because she was driving without a license.
Cars lined up as the community came together. Hundreds of people walked into the Lakeview School Thursday night to remember four lives that ended too soon. But some feel Tuesday's fatal crash and Thursday's service could have been avoided.
2006 Lakeview graduate Anita Olson says, "Without her driving we would have four kids in school today."
The Minnesota Department of Motor Vehicles confirms 23 year old Alianiss Morales did not have a driver's license when her van hit the Lakeview School bus.
Sgt. Rohn Halvorson is a 27-year veteran of the Montevideo Police Department. He makes about a dozen traffic stops a week.
"I do a lot of patrolling," says Sgt. Halvorson.
In May 2006, he stopped Alianiss Morales, after a resident in what is usually a quiet Montevideo neighborhood called police about some unexpected noise.
"The caller stated there was an erratic driver and the driver went up onto her lawn and she didn't feel like she knew how to drive," says Sgt. Halvorson.
Police say Morales drove her car onto the woman's property, backed up and took off. Halvorson pulled Morales over a few blocks away.
"Asked for her driver's license and as far as I recall, stated she didn't have one," says Sgt. Halvorson.
Morales was cited for not having a driver's license. She pleaded guilty and paid a $182 fine. Halvorson says Morales didn't explain her erratic driving and she wasn't intoxicated.
He says he took away the car keys and gave her a ride home, not knowing - of course - what would happen nearly two years later on a rural road near Cottonwood.
My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in Cottonwood who is affected by this tragedy.
I have two things I want to say about this:
1) At the Memorial Service, speakers included Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Minnesota U.S. Senators Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar. While I understand their desire to speak at this type of service, personally, the last frikkin' person I want to hear from at a Memorial Service is a politician - any politician. Why can't they simply attend without flapping their jaw?
2) Where are the usual Liberal and Progressive groups who are such staunch advocates for bestowing rights on illegal immigrants right now? They always seem to withdraw into the woodwork when something like this happens. Huh - I wonder why that is? They're not out there - to my knowledge - providing any comfort to the family and friends of the victims and they are not out there raising funds to help pay costs associated with the funeral and medical expenses of the victims or those who were injured and remain hospitalized. WHERE ARE THE PRO-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION GROUPS NOW? Every single one of these groups who lobby in favor of, and support, illegal immigration should be named in a class action lawsuit by anyone whose child was killed or injured from this tragedy.
You wait - you just wait - after this disaster quiets down a bit the pro-illegal immigrant groups will be back lobbying for the so-called "rights of illegal immigrants." A pox on everyone associated with these groups, for you know no shame.
©2008
Labels: Alianiss Morales, Olga Marina Franco
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