DENVER — An undocumented immigrant being held in connection with a deadly hit-and-run crash has been formally charged, the Denver District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
Ivan Zamarripa-Castaneda, 26, has been charged with one count of vehicular homicide-DUI and one count of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.
Zamarripa-Castaneda was driving a pickup truck shortly before midnight on Saturday when he allegedly caused a fiery accident involving a semitruck near eastbound Interstate 70 and North Brighton Boulevard.
The crash resulted in the death of the 57-year-old driver of the semitruck. The semitruck driver has not been identified.
Zamarripa-Castaneda then fled the scene of the accident, the Denver Police Department said. He was arrested at his home in the 2600 block of West Bayaud Avenue early Sunday, prosecutors said.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Zamarripa-Castaneda’s speech was slurred and his breath had a moderate odor of unknown alcohol.
He was taken to Denver Health Medical Center where three blood draws were conducted. The results are pending, police said.
U.S. Immigration and Customs agents want to take Zamarripa-Castaneda into custody because of his immigration status in an effort to get him deported to Mexico.
But the Denver Sheriff’s Department has said it will refuse to honor the detainer. If Zamarripa-Castaneda posts his $25,000 bond, he will be free to go until his next court date.
Denver and all other state agencies stopped honoring detainer orders from ICE in 2014 after courts ruled it was illegal.
Zamarripa-Castaneda is scheduled to appear in court on Friday morning for a second advisement.