Man accused of DUI deported three times already
BY CHARLES KEESHAN
Daily Herald Staff Writer
June 27, 2006
A man charged with causing the death of a Crystal Lake motorcyclist in a Saturday crash blamed on drunken driving was deported 11 years ago to his native Mexico for a nearly identical crime, but was back in McHenry County just 18 months later committing more offenses, according to court records.
In the almost 10 years since that deportation, Eulalio Haro was convicted of driving under the influence twice, criminal trespassing, public drunkenness, endangering the life of a child and disorderly conduct, and he was deported twice more.
On each occasion he found his way back to northern Illinois.
"This adds to the argument that we need to control our borders," McHenry County State's Attorney Louis Bianchi said Monday. "It confirms it."
Haro, 34, of Woodstock, appeared in court Monday facing charges of reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence stemming from a hit-and-run crash Saturday that claimed the life of a 71-year-old man.
Police said Haro was driving west on Route 14 Saturday afternoon in Woodstock when his car veered into oncoming traffic and struck a motorcycle driven by Dean Knospe of Crystal Lake. Knospe was pronounced dead a short time later.
Haro, police said, sped away from the scene, but was arrested Sunday after an officer found his car at a Woodstock apartment complex. Woodstock police Sgt. Richard Johns said the vehicle, a 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier, had damage consistent with what happened in the collision.
If found guilty of the aggravated DUI charge, Haro could be sentenced to 14 years in prison. He remained in custody Monday at the McHenry County jail on $2 million bond.
It is not the first time the native of Mexico has been behind bars facing allegations he drove drunk and killed someone. In 1993 he pleaded guilty to a reckless homicide charge and later was sentenced to four years in a state prison.
He spent only about 15 months in prison before he was paroled in March 1995 and immediately turned over to federal immigration authorities, who deported him to Mexico.
But he did not stay gone for long.
In September 1996, Harvard police ticketed Haro for driving on a suspended license, the first of several run-ins with the law he would have over the next decade. In 1998 he twice was arrested for driving under the influence, once with a minor riding in his car. He pleaded guilty to both DUIs later that year and was sentenced to six months in jail.
He was convicted of disorderly conduct in 2001 and trespassing in 2004.
Federal authorities again took Haro into custody in January 2005 and returned him to Mexico for the second time. Less than seven months later, federal authorities again detained him - this time in California - and deported him for the third time.
Gail Montenegro, spokeswoman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Haro's case shows the need for continuing efforts along the borders.
"(Border security) is something we need to continue to strive to achieve," Montenegro said. "Certainly people like Mr. Haro are people we want to focus our efforts on."
First Assistant McHenry County State's Attorney Thomas Carroll said the case could also cause law enforcement and immigration officials to take a closer look at undocumented immigrants arrested for nonviolent offenses - most of whom currently do not face deportation.
"Unfortunately, none of that is going to bring this victim's family relief," Carroll said.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=202927
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