Saturday, March 20, 2010
A man, a bicycle, & a machete
What are the odds that a guy nicknamed "Guatemala," & armed with a machete, & riding a bicycle on Route 46 in Parsippany NJ, is a legal resident of the United States?
In Elizabeth, we just had this: Homeless men are sentenced for blaze that led to Elizabeth firefighter's death.
On a bitterly cold night, two homeless men from El Salvador & Guatemala broke into an abandoned house, tried to stay warm by drinking & then stupidly starting a fire. The fire spread, & in the fire dept response, a firefighter slipped on ice & was run over & killed by a fire engine backing into position. The men were initially & unjustly charged with murder. Yet, they had to take some responsibilty for the tragedy. Although I wondered how often homeowners are charged & tried for negligent "accidental" fires that cause injury or death. Does the ultimate responsibility for what occurred in Elizabeth fall upon us for not dealing with illegal immigration or homelessness, no matter what our views are?
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
He can be tried, possibly convicted & jailed, then deported when his sentence is served. Or the cheaper option, just deported. Either way "Guatemala" & his machete may find their way back to The United States. People like him make it really difficult to advocate reform that gives illegal immigrants a chance to stay here legitimately.
PARSIPPANY – An argument over a stolen bike Tuesday exploded into a fight at a Route 46 shopping center in which a 25-year-old township man allegedly slashed and stabbed another person with a machete, police said.
Jose Victor Santiago, known on local streets as “Guatemala,” has been charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and terroristic threats. He remained in the Morris County jail today on $100,000 bail.
U.S. immigration officials also have a detainer on Santiago, who lives in the Lake Hiawatha section of town, police said.
Parsippany Police Sgt. Yvonne Christiano said Santiago attacked the 28-year-old Caldwell man around 5 p.m. behind the Shop Rite Liquors store in the Arlington Plaza Shopping Center. The Caldwell man was not named by police.
A witness said the victim had been drinking beers with him and other men when Santiago approached them on a bicycle that was allegedly stolen from the witness, Christiano said.
Santiago left the area after he was confronted about the bicycle, Christiano said, but he returned later with a machete.
In Elizabeth, we just had this: Homeless men are sentenced for blaze that led to Elizabeth firefighter's death.
On a bitterly cold night, two homeless men from El Salvador & Guatemala broke into an abandoned house, tried to stay warm by drinking & then stupidly starting a fire. The fire spread, & in the fire dept response, a firefighter slipped on ice & was run over & killed by a fire engine backing into position. The men were initially & unjustly charged with murder. Yet, they had to take some responsibilty for the tragedy. Although I wondered how often homeowners are charged & tried for negligent "accidental" fires that cause injury or death. Does the ultimate responsibility for what occurred in Elizabeth fall upon us for not dealing with illegal immigration or homelessness, no matter what our views are?
Labels: in the news, New Jersey
