THEY GOT HIM! Follow up to cyclist killed...

[bikerchick68]

Audio A... I respect and understand your concern... but this is NOT a stereotype... it's just a reality... we have many illegal and undocumented immigrants here... I have no problem with someone being here LEGALLY no matter their nationality... but people who are here illegally I DO have a problem with... it's just my humble opinion that one shouldn't pick and choose which laws should be upheld... illegal is illegal whether it's selling drugs or coming into our country or killing a cyclist and fleeing the scene...

I have MANY friends who are Mexican... and I am bilingual... but there is a real and distinct issue with illegal immigrants driving here... and then not being held accountable for their actions... rather they are deported. Unfortunately our border patrol is beyond overwhelmed. I have spent time in Mexico, and frankly I don't blame any citizen there for wanting to leave... it's pretty sad what the govt has done to the people there... it is a VERY rich country with hard workers... who can't find work due to corrupt leaders... including THEIR police depts!

I hope that alleviates your concern that we are stereotyping... I personally don't hate ANYONE, but I do despise the behaviors of many...

All that being said, the man was in court yesterday for the first time... he is a US citizen... he admitted to hitting the cyclist, fleeing the scene and lying to the police BUT he pled NOT GUILTY!!!?????? They said if he is found guilty of all charges he will face 4 yrs behind bars... FOUR YEARS??? That's IT? Un-freakin-believable!!! That means he would be out in just over 2 yrs with time off for "good behavior"... this is when I really question OUR legal system... how can someone who causes a death by their negligent behavior only serve 4 yrs?

I feel for everyone involved... what a senseless tragedy...

I edited this as there is a follow up article that says Jose Luis Cifuentes is a US citizen living here for 14yrs...

[caligurl]

thanx for stating it better than i did! i re-read what i wrote.. and i was kinda babbling!

i do think that people who live in middle america may not grasp the severity of the situation.....

illegals are a huge pet peeve of mine.... but i won't go into that anymore here since it doesn't pertain... as the driver is obviously here legally....

4 year... *sigh*.... ya... i was afraid of something like that....

[bouncybouncy]

Land of the Free!!!

now we know how it got its name i am with cali and bikerchick here...we have our share of these problems too and when they do not obey "our" (americans as a whole) laws they should expect to do the punishment as an american if they want to live here!!!! but then again if that is his punishment for KILLING a service-man for crying out loud what has this coutry gone to

i do my best to vote, obey, support, and be proud to be an american but this disgusts me and is so discouraging!!!!

what is it we can do???

[caligurl]

i do think that makes it all the worse (if there can really be a "worse" in a situation like this) i'm sure the 2 families (his and hers) thought if they were going to get a call... it would be the chaplain's visiting them for the wife...

and for the wife to have to be told that while over there.... it's not even like she got to kiss him goodbye on his way out the door that morning....

devasting to happen at all.... but just seems even more so in a case like this.....

i'm still galled by the whole 4 years thing.......

[drplasma64]

What was he actually charged with? Vehicular manslaughter?

It is horrible that somebody fled the scene after an accident like that, and lied to the police. However, it's not like he intentionally went out and killed someone. I'm sure he totally panicked. Not that that is an excuse, but still, the penalty shouldn't be the same for causing and panicking after a fatal accident vs. going out and shooting someone in cold blood. And really, this driver is probably less a threat to society than most "criminals" (assuming he's not doing other illegal things).

Just my $0.02

[pkq]

I would hope if I did not commit pre-meditated murder, the penalty would be less. If he could have avoided killing the cyclists and didn't, 4 years is insufficient. It will be interesting to see what happens.

[bikerchick68]

no, he did not intentionally kill the cyclist... it appears to be a true accident...and IF he had stopped would have been charged with a misdemeanor...

the reason I find this so upsetting is that he left the scene, with the cyclist DYING in the road... where he was then HIT by 2 other cars. A cement truck driver stopped to help and block the road...

If the original guy had stopped, the cyclist MAY have lived... but when the driver fled, the cyclist was left lying out in the road... I understand people panicking, but man, where's your conscience? LEAVING the scene IS intentional... if he left and then realized he shouldn't have he COULD have gone back right away! Instead he drove by 4 hours later with a smashed hood and windshield...and then lied about it... I just can't imagine looking at myself in the mirror... he didn't admit t it until he failed a lie detector test and the DNA came back as the cyclists...

now he is being charged with manslaughter and felony fleeing a scene... I don't think 4 yrs is enough... if that was YOUR husband, would it be enough? (no need to answer, just think about it... yikes!) It's a tough and emotional story...