Police hunting driver's identity
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on November 29, 2005 1:51 PM
Goldsboro police are trying to determine if the man accused of hitting two students with his sport utility vehicle outside Greenwood Middle School is really who he says he is.
The man, who identified himself as "Luis Delgado Jesus" of Mount Olive, is currently being held in the Wayne County Jail under $5,500 bond on charges of reckless driving,
driving with a revoked license and expired registration, in connection with the Nov. 18 incident that left two eighth-graders at the school in the hospital.
One of the boys, 13-year-old Carson Thomas, remains in critical condition at Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville. The other, Mackenzie Wessels, is home recuperating from his injuries after spending a little less than a week in the hospital.
Sergeant Ralph Ball, an investigator on the case, said Monday that Goldsboro police have been in contact with numerous people in an attempt to correctly identify the man. Police officials have said they will continue to reject attempts to bail out the suspect until his identity has been confirmed.
Officials from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an arm of the Department of Homeland Security, confirmed they have been contacted by police and are investigating the matter.
ICE spokesman Julie Zuieback said she has received word from local law enforcement that Jesus's identity is in question and added that her office is helping to confirm his citizenship status.
"At this point, we have no information to indicate that this individual is living in the U.S. illegally," she said Monday. "However, we will continue to work with the Goldsboro Police Department on this matter."
Ball confirmed that the police department has received tips from the community that the man has given police a false name.
Eyewitnesses said the traffic light had been red for a number of seconds when the two students started to cross the street in front of the school and that the oncoming white sport utility vehicle, which was driven by the suspect, did not slow down.
He could face additional charges including felony assault, Wayne County District Attorney Branny Vickory said last week.
If the man identified as "Jesus" is found guilty of the current charges filed against him, he might receive jail time, Vickory said. However, under North Carolina law, he would receive a mandatory suspension of the sentence.
Additional charges would likely be felonies, Vickory said, and could lead to mandatory jail time.