Murder charge dropped when witness deported

Source: Columbia Dispatch

Murder charge dropped when witness deported
Tuesday, July 20, 2010 08:13 PM
By John Futty

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Franklin County prosecutors have dropped an aggravated murder charge against an East Side man because the key witness against him was deported to Mexico.

The Office of Homeland Security deported the witness without notifying the prosecutor's office, Prosecutor Ron O'Brien wrote in asking a Common Pleas Court judge to dismiss the case.

Jaime C. Gallegos, 20, of Stelzer Road, was released from the Franklin County jail Monday night after charges for aggravated murder and tampering with evidence were dropped. He was one of two defendants indicted in the Christmas Eve shooting death of Miguel Martinez-Vargas, 22, whose bullet-riddled body was found in a car outside the El Gato Negro bar, 1024 Shady Lane Rd.

The case against the other defendant, Juan Mercado-Villanueva, 20, of Raphael Drive was not affected by the deportation, O'Brien said today. A different witness is available in that case. But prosecutors couldn't prove their case against Gallegos without the testimony of Daniel Mercado, who was deported April 13, he said.


Read more: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/07/20/Murder-charge-dropped-when-witness-deported.html?sid=101

"Mercado, 25, was an illegal immigrant who failed to show up for sentencing after he was convicted in Franklin County Common Pleas Court of carrying a concealed weapon in December 2006. He was arrested on a warrant in the case during the investigation of the Martinez-Vargas slaying."

Homeland Security my ass. Now a murderer is skipping about free, and poor Miguel Martinez-Vargas' death will be unavenged.

:sigh:

:sarcasm: