Illegal immigrant released under Obama and given swanky driving license is arrested for killing girl, 8, with his car
An illegal migrant who was released under the Obama administration and allowed a driver's license has been arrested after a hit and run that killed an eight-year-old girl in Idaho.
Elvin Elgardo Ramos-Caballero was arrested by Homeland Security after being charged with a hit and run that killed Mora Gerety on November 11.
Ramos-Caballero, originally from Honduras, had been given a driver's license by the state of Oregon and was attempting to make a right turn at an intersection in Boise.
Gerety was crossing the street as Ramos-Caballero made the turn and she was struck and killed.
Emergency services responded to the scene just before 5pm and Gerety was rushed to hospital where she passed later that evening.
'This is a parent's worst nightmare, and tonight our hearts go out to the victim's family, friends and her community at large,' Boise Police Chief Chris Dennison said in a release.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Ramos-Caballero entered the United States illegally in September 2015 but was released by the Obama administration.
After failing to appear at an immigration hearing, a judge ordered he be removed in absentia on May 6, 2016.
Elvin Elgardo Ramos-Caballero was arrested by Homeland Security after being charged with a hit and run that killed eight-year-old Mora Gerety on November 11
Gerety was crossing the street as Ramos-Caballero made the turn and she was struck and killed by the Honduran native
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a DHS release: '8-year-old Mora Gerety's precious life was taken by an illegal alien who should have never been in our country, let alone issued a driver's license by the sanctuary state of Oregon.'
'Mora Gerety's classmates, teachers, friends, and our nation will carry this loss forever.
'We ask every American to lift this family up in prayer and we ask God to grant them the courage as they face the hardest days a family can endure,' McLaughlin continued.
'Decades of open border policies have turned every community into a border town,' she declared. 'These policies have deadly consequences.'
Gerety's family said the young girl 'brought so many of us immeasurable joy'. They added that they feel her loss 'more deeply than words can hold.'
At a vigil for Gerety, the Idaho Statesman reported that a speaker and friend of the family said: 'We hold Mora in our hearts each day. For those of you didn't know her before, now you do, and Mora would have loved to be your friend.'
The vigil drew in hundreds of community members who left flowers, wrote messages, tied ribbons and cards to a nearby tree and hung photographs of Gerety.
Gerety's family said the young girl 'brought so many of us immeasurable joy' and her loss 'we all feel more deeply than words can hold'
Her family wrote in a statement to the outlet that they wanted to 'extend our gratitude for the outpouring of love and support you've shown our family this week.
'We have felt your love for Mora, and the support from our community has meant a lot to us.'
Speakers at the vigil said that Gerety had been an active and involved young girl who enjoyed playing basketball, football, and soccer. She also spent her time mountain biking, skiing and swimming.
'More than just the activities she loved, Mora was oh-so kind to each person she encountered.
'She was a faithful friend, and her close friends were fortunate to experience the wild and very silly side of her that came out when they were all together,' one speaker said, per the outlet.
