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What’s next for twice-deported suspect accused in deaths of Colts player, Uber driver?

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The man accused of hitting and killing a Colts player and his Uber driver was in the country illegally when the incident happened, police said, and he’d been deported two other times: in 2007 and 2009.

Colts player 26-year old Edwin Jackson hired an Uber driver to drive him early Sunday morning. That Uber driver, 54-year old Jeffrey Monroe, pulled onto the shoulder of I-70 after police say Jackson got sick. Both Monroe and Jackson were outside the vehicle when authorities say a drunk driver who identified himself to police as Alex Cabrera Gonsales struck them in his truck.

An investigation revealed the suspect was using a fake name and that his real name is Manuel Orrego-Savala, a 37-year-old from Guatemala. According to police, his BAC was .239, almost three times the legal limit.

Jack Crawford, a criminal defense lawyer in Indianapolis, is not representing any party involved, but he has been following the case. He says what happens next is up to federal authorities.

“If they wanted to come in and grab him right now, and deport him, send him back to Guatemala, they could do that. They have that authority,” said Crawford.

But Crawford says that would be a worst-case scenario because if Orrego-Savala were deported, he would not face consequences for the crimes he’s accused of in the United States.

Crawford says he could even try to come back to the United States illegally under another alias.

Instead, Crawford believes the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will first will charge him. If convicted, he faces serious time in prison. Crawford says after serving time, Orrego-Savala would be handed over to federal authorities.

“There are additional federal charges for illegal re-entry. It would appear from the information, this might be his third time he’s entered the country illegally,” said Crawford.

After serving federal time, Crawford says Orrego-Savala would be deported.

As of Monday night, the Marion County Prosecutor’s office was reviewing the case and had not yet filed charges.

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