A DUI case involving an illegal alien in North Carolina is drawing renewed scrutiny after court records revealed a prior impaired driving charge against the suspect had been dismissed years before a fatal crash that killed two young college students. The case has intensified debate over immigration enforcement, court decisions, and public safety.
Juan Alvarado Aguilar, 37, an illegal immigrant, is accused of causing a head-on collision that killed Catawba College soccer player Fletcher Harris, 20, and his girlfriend, Skylar Provenza, 19. According to court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital, Aguilar was charged with driving while impaired in Cabarrus County on Nov. 5, 2020. That case was “dismissed with leave,” leaving it unresolved under North Carolina law.
The fatal crash occurred late Jan. 16 on Amity Hill Road when Aguilar crossed the center line, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Prosecutors said a state trooper noted the smell of alcohol at the scene was overwhelming. Aguilar admitted he was driving alone, and troopers testified he was stumbling and fell into an officer before being handcuffed.
During a court hearing Tuesday, prosecutors sought to raise Aguilar’s bond from $250,000 to $2 million, citing flight risk and prior failures to appear. The judge set bond at more than $5 million, stating, “I’m very concerned about his appearance in court and the facts of this case.”
Aguilar now faces two counts of felony death by vehicle and one count of driving while impaired. An ICE detainer has been lodged against him.
North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall said, “The lives of Fletcher Harris and Skylar Provenza were senselessly taken by an illegal alien driving while impaired.” The DUI case has also renewed attention on federal legislation targeting serious impaired driving offenses by illegal immigrants.
