Illegal Immigrant Out On Bond Kills Sixth Grade Teacher On Thanksgiving
An illegal immigrant who was killed a 28-year-old teacher in a hit and run on Thanksgiving Day was out on bond when it happened.
He is now being held on $125,000 bail and has an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer, KFox reported.
El Paso Police arrested the man they say was behind the wheel in a deadly hit and run Thanksgiving morning on Cincinnati and Mesa street.
24-year-old Joel Velazquez, is now facing charges of an accident involving death.
KFOX14 Investigates has learned at the time of the crash he was out on bond from a 2017 assault charge.
He appears to be in the country illegally and is now currently on an ICE detention hold, related to his immigration status, meaning he cannot bond out of jail.
If he could, his bond is set at $125,000.
Police say he blew through a red light just before 2 a.m. Thursday morning.
That’s when he hit Amanda “Mandy” Ferguson Weyant, who was in the crosswalk, and took off. Police later found his vehicle abandoned on Cincinnati.
Mandy was a sixth grade teacher at Eastwood Heights Elementary School.
The community has been mourning her throughout the holiday weekend.
Her family wants the man responsible for their daughter’s death to be held accountable.
“He’s destroyed my family. My daughter, Mandy, was the glue that held my family in place, she was my everything,” said Dan Ferguson.
Saturday morning, he received a call from EPPD, telling him the man who hit his 28-year-old daughter Mandy, a bubbly 6th grade teacher, turned himself in, two days after fleeing the scene.
“I saw where my daughter was hit and where her body was 50 feet from the point of contact. He didn’t even attempt to stop to render aid,” said Ferguson.
There was some relief, but also frustration.
“This man, because of his careless actions, has destroyed a complete family,” said Ferguson.
The family says they learned Velazquez has a criminal past and was in the country illegally.
“It just doesn’t add up, it doesn’t seem to be fair,” said Ferguson.
Mandy’s parents are trying to find peace in the memories and the joy their daughter brought to so many people.
“She was my world, she was my wife’s best friend but she was my baby girl,” said Ferguson
But they also want accountability and justice for Mandy.
“Everything was perfect in her life and to have it all taken and senselessly destroyed this is something no parent should go through,” said Ferguson.
