A previously-deported illegal alien with a rap sheet has been charged with killing a teenage boy after he allegedly shot his girlfriend and her two sons in New York this week, according to reports.
The horrifying incident unfolded at around 11:30 p.m. on Monday in Somers, a town in Westchester County.
Authorities were alerted to a shooting at an apartment and arrived to find three people suffering from gunshot wounds inside the residence — a woman identified as Christina Raimondi and her two sons, ages 14 and 16.
The victims were rushed to local hospitals in critical condition, but the 16-year-old succumbed to his injuries, according to ABC 7.
A manhunt was launched, and shelter-in-place orders were issued and schools were closed in the vicinity of the crime.
Authorities eventually captured the suspect after he burglarized a local deli, according to the New York Post.
He was identified as Fernando Andres Jimenez Meza, a 40-year-old Chilean national who is illegally present in the U.S.
NYSP is searching for murder suspect, Fernando Jimenez, age 40, 5’10”, 170lbs, last seen with black pants and a grey sweatshirt in the Peekskill Hollow Rd area. Do not approach, if you think you can help call 911 immediately if sighted. https://t.co/h6yrSB2qkC pic.twitter.com/eSBE635SGE
— NewYorkStatePolice (@nyspolice) October 29, 2024
In 2004, Jimenez Meza was apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Tecate, California, sources told the Post.
He claimed to be a Mexican citizen named Erik Melendez-Arellano at the time.
After voluntarily self-deporting, Jimenez Meza reentered the U.S. at an unknown location and date before eventually making his way to New York, a sanctuary state.
In 2018, Jimenez Meza was reportedly arrested in Yonkers for driving while intoxicated, but was released on a $500 fine.
“It is unclear if local authorities were aware that Jimenez Meza was in the country illegally when he was arrested then,” the Post reports.
“According to sources, he was also charged with assault that year but the case was sealed so details are not available.”
🚨 Westchester County, NY: Illegal alien Fernando Andres Jimenez Meza has been charged with Murder, Attempted Murder, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon. https://t.co/H1qqlsOHZd pic.twitter.com/AgNbiK7V6v
— Illegal Alien Crimes (@ImmigrantCrimes) October 31, 2024
Jimenez Meza was charged with second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree attempted murder, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
Additionally, ICE has lodged a detainer against Jimenez Meza, but he is being held in Westchester County, a sanctuary for illegals, so it is unclear if the request will be honored.
Authorities continue to catch dangerous foreign criminals illegally present in the U.S., many of whom have been previously released by law enforcement agencies.