ICE says a targeted enforcement operation was underway in Port Arthur when an 18-year-old driver fled an attempted stop and crashed into a City of Port Arthur employee's SUV, injuring the employee. Witnesses say the teen was followed by multiple vehicles without visible lights or sirens; ICE disputes that and says its emergency lights and sirens were activated. ICE identified the target as 44-year-old twice-deported Honduran Armando Quintanilla-Erazo and named the fleeing driver as his son Jarvin Quintanilla-Urbina; both are being sought as the investigation continues.
ICE Says Targeted Enforcement Operation Preceded Port Arthur Crash; Two Men Sought
12News
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says its agents were conducting a targeted enforcement operation in a Port Arthur neighborhood shortly before a vehicle collision that injured a City of Port Arthur employee.
The crash occurred shortly before 8 a.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Orange and Bluebonnet avenues. An 18-year-old driver struck an SUV driven by a city employee; the employee was transported to the Medical Center of Southeast Texas for treatment.
ICE Account
ICE provided the first official account of why agents were in the neighborhood. The agency says officers attempted a lawful stop of a vehicle registered to 44-year-old Armando Alexander Quintanilla-Erazo, a Honduran national who had been deported twice. ICE says the driver was identified as Quintanilla-Erazo's 18-year-old son, Jarvin Alexander Quintanilla-Urbina, who is also in the United States without authorization.
According to ICE, Jarvin initially pulled over when ICE activated emergency lights and sirens. ICE says that as officers were exiting their vehicles, the teen sped away at a high rate of speed, nearly striking an ICE officer and one of the agency's vehicles. About one block from the initial stop, ICE says the vehicle ran a stop sign and crashed into the resident's SUV; the driver then fled on foot. ICE says agents reported the crash to local law enforcement and contacted emergency medical services.
ICE added that officers are actively looking for both Jarvin Alexander Quintanilla-Urbina and Armando Alexander Quintanilla-Erazo and urged anyone with information to contact the ICE Tip Line at 1 (866) 347-2423 or to file a tip online.
Eyewitness Accounts and Dispute
Witnesses at the scene described a different version of events. CJ Landry, who said he knows the teen driver, told reporters the teen said multiple vehicles began following him as he left his home and that those vehicles had no visible lights or sirens. ICE disputes that account, maintaining its vehicles had emergency lights and sirens activated during the attempted stop.
Tiana Johnson, the City of Port Arthur's public information officer, said she stopped to help the injured employee and observed people wearing camouflage with large letters identifying them as ICE near the wreckage. Port Arthur Police Chief Tim Duriso previously confirmed the officers involved were not members of the Port Arthur Police Department.
Investigation Under Way
Local authorities and ICE continue to investigate. Reporters have requested related public records from the Port Arthur Police Department to clarify the sequence of events and agency involvement.
ICE Statement Highlights
In its released statement, ICE described the stop as lawful, identified the individuals involved, and said officers immediately went to the crash site to report the collision and check on the injured resident. The agency also cited sharp percentage increases in vehicle attacks, assaults and death threats against its personnel but did not provide supporting documentation with the statement.
Note: Authorities urge anyone with information about the whereabouts of Jarvin Alexander Quintanilla-Urbina or Armando Alexander Quintanilla-Erazo to contact ICE via the tip line at 1 (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online.
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