The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reported that a previously deported immigrant is believed to be responsible for the death of a 61-year-old man last month.
Wilmer Fuentes Mejia is suspected of causing a hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of Richard Ferguson Jr. in Durham, North Carolina, on September 13. Following the incident, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sought detention for Mejia.
Mejia entered the U.S. illegally back in 2015 and was released during the Obama era, according to DHS. He was ordered to leave the country by an immigration judge in December 2019 and was subsequently deported in 2020 during the first Trump administration. It appears he returned illegally after that. Mejia is originally from Guatemala.
His criminal records include arrests for assault and driving under the influence. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin remarked, “Wilmer Fuentes Mejia is an illegal alien from Guatemala with a history of DUIs and was deported by ICE in 2020. Local prosecutors allowed his release despite multiple DUIs, and now he has taken the life of an innocent man in North Carolina.” She emphasized that efforts are underway to ensure he does not pose a threat to public safety again.
Reports indicate that Ferguson Jr. suffered fatal injuries after Mejia lost control of his vehicle, hitting two road signs before colliding with him.
Reginald Ferguson, the victim’s brother, shared a personal story about how their late relative helped him overcome addiction. He said, “Twenty-some years ago, I was going through a tough time with drug addiction, and my brother helped me get through it. He never gave up on me. He didn’t deserve to be killed and leave this world.”
At the time of the September incident, Mejia had a pending warrant for a 2020 DWI charge related to his failure to appear in court.
