A man who was in the United States illegally and accused of beating to death a journalist in New Orleans, Louisiana on Friday was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a court hearing on Tuesday, according to reports.
Jorge Martinez Sanchez, 29, is charged with negligence resulting in death, reckless driving and operating a vehicle without a license in the crash, which happened just after 7:30 a.m. Friday.
According to Louisiana State Police, officers responded to a multi-vehicle accident on the Crescent City Connection Bridge in downtown New Orleans this morning. Upon arriving on scene, officers learned that Mark Dean, 48, of Gretna, Louisiana, had died in the accident.
A preliminary investigation has determined that Dean was traveling east on the Crescent City Bridge on a Yamaha motorcycle when he was struck from behind by a Toyota Camry driven by Martinez-Sanchez. The cause of the crash is still unknown.
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Jorge Martinez Sanchez, who is in the United States illegally, has been charged with manslaughter and other traffic-related charges in connection with the crash that killed a sports producer at a New Orleans broadcast station. (Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill)
Police said the impact sent Dean and his motorcycle into the air before the Camry crashed into the rear of a Nissan Rogue.
Dean was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash and was wearing a Department of Transportation-approved helmet, police said.
Police said Martinez-Sanchez and the driver of the Rogue were both wearing their seat belts and were not injured in the crash.
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Crescent City Connection and Downtown New Orleans. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Local news station NBC News reported that prosecutors have asked for Martinez-Sanchez to be held without bail, citing him as a flight risk.
The court hearing revealed that the suspect is an illegal immigrant whose application for a tourist visa in 2019 was denied.
ICE told Fox News Digital that its Enforcement and Removal Operations Unit (ERO) in New Orleans filed an immigration detention order against Martinez-Sanchez with the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office after he was arrested by Louisiana State Police.
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ICE reportedly detained Jorge Martinez-Sanchez during a court appearance on Tuesday after learning he was in the U.S. illegally. (Getty Images)
ICE added that Martinez was arrested by immigration officials for entering the U.S. without admissibility or parole from an unknown location at an unknown time.
During a court appearance on Tuesday, the suspect told the judge he was about to get a cup of coffee when the accident happened and looked up to see he had crashed into the back of Dean's motorcycle, the station reported.
Martinez-Sanchez tried to brake but couldn't avoid hitting Dean a second time, court documents said.
ICE detained Sanchez-Martinez pending a court hearing.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murray responded to the news in a social media post on Tuesday.
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“Heartbreaking! The perpetrator of this horrific accident, 29-year-old Jorge Martinez-Sanchez, is an illegal immigrant,” Marilu wrote. “Authorities have prosecuted the case and secured him in custody without bail. Martinez-Sanchez has been arrested on suspicion of negligent homicide, reckless driving and operating without a license. Praying for Mark Dean's family, friends and coworkers.”
ABC in New Orleans, where Dean worked as a long-time sports producer, released a statement from New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Ann Kirkpatrick.
“The New Orleans Police Department is deeply saddened by the loss of WGNO's respected sports producer, Mark Dean, who was killed in a traffic accident this morning,” Kirkpatrick said. “Mark was not only a colleague to many in our media community, but also a friend whose passion and dedication to his work left a lasting impact on all who had the privilege of knowing him. Our hearts go out to Mark's family, friends and the entire WGNO team during this difficult time.”
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The station also wrote that Dean's death is “saddened by the entire WGNO family,” adding that it is a “huge blow” after the loss of sportscaster Ed Daniels.
The investigation into the crash is still ongoing.
