An illegal migrant who was previously deported five times has been charged in the fatal hit-and-run death of a 10-year-old boy in Texas, according to reports.
Rogelio Ortiz, 50, was arrested last week by the Midland Police Department and charged with a hit-and-run accident causing death for allegedly striking the boy with a black truck on the afternoon of Feb. 8. The victim was hit in the 1900 block of South Lamesa Road in Midland, which is about 320 miles northwest of San Antonio.
The boy, named by his school as Alex Wise, died from his injuries the following day after he had been airlifted to hospital in critical condition, police said.
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Ortiz was on an immigration detainer and was deported at least five separate times, according to CBS7. His identity was confirmed by fingerprints taken during his first removal.
Ortiz is also facing a driving while intoxicated charge (DWI), according to the Midland County Sheriff's Office website, although it's unclear if this is concerning the hit-and-run.
The boy’s aunt launched a GoFundMe to generate funds to pay for Wise’s funeral costs. The GoFundMe has received more than $22,000 in donations as of Saturday, Feb. 17.
"Aj was the sweetest, coolest, funniest little boy you ever would meet," Wise’s aunt wrote.
One of the donors chipped in $10 and said he was Wise’s friend. Wise was a student at Individuals Dedicated to Excellence and Achievement Public Schools (IDEA) Travis.
"I knew Alex he was my friend, he was a really great friend [and] always tried to make everyone laugh and smile he was always happy and made everyone’s day.
"We all really miss him… even the people that barely knew him cried that sad day because he was amazing to everyone. He was so nice and caring and was just a great kid and a great friend, we miss you Alex a lot, fly high."
A memorial fundraiser is being held on Saturday for Wise, according to IDEA Travis. Last Monday, Wise’s family and the school held a balloon release in his memory on the school’s outdoor basketball courts.
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Wise’s death brought the wrath of Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, who pinned the incident on the nation’s lax border.
"How many more Americans have to die before Joe Biden secures the border?" Nehls wrote on X.
There are an estimated 16.8 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S. as of June 2023, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) report for fiscal 2023 shows that the number of illegal immigrants on the non-detained docket has soared from 3.7 million in FY 2021 to nearly 4.8 million in FY 2022 to nearly 6.2 million in FY 2023.
IDEA Travis and the Midland Independent School District released a statement expressing their condolences following the "tragic" incident.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the student’s family and loved ones. Counselors will be providing mental health support for students and staff on campus. As the safety of our students continues to be our number one priority, we are urging drivers to exercise caution when pedestrians are present to prevent tragedies."
