Earlier this month, tragedy struck in Southern California when two La Quinta High School students were biking on Highway 111 near Palm Springs. They were hit by a drunk driver, leading to a devastating outcome: one of the boys, 14-year-old Liam Cantu, lost his life due to his injuries. The other boy survived and has since been released from the hospital.
The driver implicated in this horrific incident is 47-year-old Jose Villegas Orbe, who fled the scene immediately after the collision. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, Villegas Orbe now faces serious charges, including vehicular manslaughter, DUI, and hit-and-run, in addition to a probation violation.
A shocking element of this case is Villegas Orbe’s immigration status. He is not merely a local resident but an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. Fox News reporter Bill Melugin broke the news that he had been arrested for DUI twice in 2024 within just three months and had escaped immigration enforcement. The first DUI happened in August, followed by another in November. Due to the nature of these arrests being misdemeanors, they did not meet the Biden administration’s immigration enforcement priorities, allowing him to evade custody despite his criminal record.
The sequence of events surrounding this case raises critical questions about public safety and immigration enforcement. Despite two DUI arrests, Villegas Orbe remained free, ultimately leading to a situation where a young life was lost. Liam Cantu’s tragic death highlights serious flaws in the immigration system and calls attention to how undocumented individuals with criminal histories can slip through the cracks.
As this case unfolds, it serves as a grim reminder of the consequences that can arise from the intersection of drunk driving and ineffective immigration enforcement. It underscores the need for accountability and oversight to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future. The community mourns the loss of a promising student, and the impact of this event will resonate far beyond the confines of La Quinta High School.
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