Ayon-Torres Not Yet in Mexico

Last updated Wednesday, February 7, 2007 6:03 PM CST in News

By Lori Harrison-Stone
The Morning News

    ROGERS -- A Mexican woman involved in the Oct. 20 shooting of a Rogers police officer has yet to report to her home country, despite a federal order to do so by Jan. 22.

    Temple Black, a spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New Orleans, said this week that Maria Ayon-Torres has not yet reported in as required in her voluntary deportation orders.

    After her arrest following the shooting, Ayon-Torres was held in Memphis, Tenn., at the regional immigration court facilities until Nov. 21. She was then released on a "voluntary departure" order with a 62-day limit that expired Jan. 22.

    Elaine Komis, a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Washington office, said the voluntary departure order allows Ayon-Torres to return to the United States through legal means at any time after her departure, but only if voluntary departure orders are followed. There are time limitations on when someone can return to the United States if they are officially deported, Komis said.

    If Ayon-Torres hasn't reported to Mexico, Immigration and Customs Enforcement will issue a warrant for her arrest, said Rod Reyes, resident agent in charge at the local Immigration and Customs Enforcement office. He said Wednesday that Ayon-Torres should have turned in documentation at the border by Jan. 22.

    He doesn't know if a warrant has been issued for her arrest. That information, Reyes said, would have to come from the Detention and Removal Division of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Fort Smith. A staff member there said no one is available until Friday to state whether a warrant has been issued for Ayon-Torres.

    Rogers Police Chief Steve Helms said Wednesday that his officers haven't seen Ayon-Torres, and he doesn't know if she is still in the area. He hadn't been informed that she had not reported her arrival in Mexico.

    "It's a sad state of affairs when somebody is directed and ordered but doesn't do so," Helms said. "Unfortunately, it's kind of what we have seen and what we've been trying to address with deportation."

    The level of information provided to Rogers officers about the status of illegal immigrants arrested in the city or illegal immigrants likely to be in the city would improve if Rogers is approved for the 287(g) program through Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Helms said. There's no such sharing of information now, he said.

    Mayor Steve Womack requested in November that Rogers police officers be certified and trained through the program that provides local law enforcement similar authority to that of federal immigration officers. The officers' level of authority would depend on details in a memorandum of understanding the city hopes to enter with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    Womack and Helms have said the plan isn't for the city to have officers patrolling for illegal immigrants, but to have officers with authority to act on immigration issues if illegal immigrants are detained by the department.

    Ayon-Torres was taken into custody after the October shooting, but didn't face criminal charges related to the accidental shooting of undercover officer Brian Culpepper. She also did not face any drug charges related to the search warrant executed at her 703 E. Mimosa Place home that resulted in the shooting. She was released to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in November.

    Jose and Ricardo Mora, brothers, and Carlos Vega each face drug charges generated by the undercover investigation. Jose Mora and Carlos Vega remained Wednesday in the Benton County Jail with multiple drug charges, in addition to holds on them by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Ricardo Mora, who didn't have an immigration hold, was released on a $76,480 bond Nov. 12.

    Culpepper continues to recover at home. Helms wasn't sure Wednesday when Culpepper will be able to return to the force.

    AT A GLANCE

    Voluntary Deportation

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security describes voluntary deportation as the departure of an alien from the United States without an order of removal. Failure to depart within the time granted results in a fine and a 10-year bar to several forms of relief from deportation.

    Homeland Security reports that 965,538 people accepted voluntary deportation from the United States in 2005.

    Source: Department of Homeland Security Web site at www.dhs.gov

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    Reader Comments (25 comment(s))


    The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsibility of their authors. The Morning News does not review comments before their publication, nor do we guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy. If you see a comment that violates our policy, please notify the web editor.

    mike wrote on Feb 7, 2007 7:56 PM:

    " She didn't go back to Mexico,I am shocked! "

    Gomer Pyle wrote on Feb 7, 2007 10:06 PM:

    " Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! "

    Mom wrote on Feb 7, 2007 10:37 PM:

    " Why isn't there a picture of her with this story so if we see her we can notify the authorities? I'm sure she is pretending to be someone else now and has a completely different name and new stolen security number. "

    they will be back wrote on Feb 8, 2007 12:28 AM:

    " We can deport these people all we want to but unless we do something about our boarders....they will just come right back. "

    Brazos wrote on Feb 8, 2007 7:30 AM:

    " The system is so broken and it seems our elected officials don't care. WE are just wasting billions of out tax dollars on immigration that will not or can't protect our boarders. "

    TO BRAZOS wrote on Feb 8, 2007 8:07 AM:

    " FIRST OF ALL, NEVER IN YOUR LIFE TIME WILL YOU DREAM OF EARNING A MILLION $'S IN HONEST WORK AND YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT BILLIONS OF "OUT" TAX DOLLARS. WHY DON'T YOU GET OFF YOUR REAR AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. LIKE RUNNING FOR OFFICE. YOU PEOPLE ALWAYS COMPLAINT. AND YET WAIT FOR OTHERS IN HOPE THE LAW WILL TAKE CARE OF IT. THE LAW WONT MOVE BY ITSELF, IT NEEDS PEOPLE TO APLY IT. SO GET EDUCATED AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR ISSUES. "

    No kidding.... wrote on Feb 8, 2007 8:59 AM:

    " She didn't abide by our laws when (1) she entered the country, or (2) when she fought with the police. Why did anyone think she would suddenly abide by our laws now. It's our FEDERAL politicians, Republicans and Democrats that are failing us. "

    Brazos wrote on Feb 8, 2007 10:37 AM:

    " FYI Big mouth. I have run for office. I have served on the school board. It takes a lot of money to run for state or federal office. Although I am not a millionaire, I worked 2 careers and retired from both (military and law enforcement) and got my degree many moons ago. Word of advise: stop using your companies computer, you'll get fired. You can buy one from Blue Hippo. "

    Razorback wrote on Feb 8, 2007 11:52 AM:

    " Ayon-Torres did not report as ordered in her voluntary deportation orders! This makes our country look like we have a bunch of fools running the show! "

    Razorback wrote on Feb 8, 2007 11:57 AM:

    " TANCREDO FOR PRESIDENT! This man is the only canidate who has the balls to speak out against the Illegal Mexican problem. I will vote for him , and anyone who loves our country and hates the Illegal Mexican takeover of our country should also vote for Tancredo for president!! "

    Observer wrote on Feb 8, 2007 12:08 PM:

    " To those who think this is an outrage, Senator David Pryor has 4 appearances scheduled in this area tomorrow (Fri 9 Feb) If you are truly fed up with the inaction on immigration abuse and want to do something about it, this is your opportunity to do so. My wife and I will be contacting Sen Pryor to express our outrage of this particular incident and the failure to curb illegal immigration in general. 1. 9-10am Jones Center in Springdale 2. 11-12am Rogers Adult Wellness Center 3. 1-2pm Green Forest Depot 4. 3-4pm Huntsville Community Center If you won't take the time to let them know how you feel, stop griping and complaining. "

    Hispanics wrote on Feb 8, 2007 12:22 PM:

    " Are coming by the Bus Loads every day, has anyone heard of (Mexican Imports) on Huntsville...by the busload, check it out "

    obie-1 wrote on Feb 8, 2007 1:21 PM:

    " This article is the biggest waste of cyber space I have ever seen. We slapped this person on the hands, and told her to go home. She didn't. Then, the responsibility for enforcement is turned over to another department, who gives it off to another... the red tape is endless, and every person in every department is costing us money. AND THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING. 965,000 were given voluntary deportation orders in 2005. This chick didn't go. How many more of that 965,000 figure are still at large? Lets just issue a warrant for arrest. That will bring them out of hiding for sure. You want to fix this? Shut the borders down tight, add more patrols, and give them high powered weapons with very powerful scopes. End of problemo. "

    LadyM wrote on Feb 8, 2007 1:45 PM:

    " Until the people of this Country start holding our Representatives responsible for the sham they are running on us, nothing will happen. We put Border Patrol Agents in jail and give ammunity to drug smugglers. You want to know where the problem lays, directly at the feet of our Monarch in Charge. Write your leaders and tell them to stop this insanity. "

    Wait a minute. wrote on Feb 8, 2007 1:47 PM:

    " Shut the border just like that? What about...How are we going to get the drugs that half of our population depend on... and I don't mean Grandpa' and 'ma's goverment suplied. I mean the steady suply that our young pupils are hooked on. The straigh A's students you kiss good bye in the morning and perhaps you wont see them until next morning dead on the local news. "

    the Solution to immigration wrote on Feb 8, 2007 4:38 PM:

    " i know the solution to all your immigration woos, lets stop and think what fuels immigration JOBS hundreds of hundreds of vacant JOBS, the solution is if we all take does jobs that are available and do ourselves, lets go to tyson, georges, construction, and manual work by the masses and demand that they hire us legal american citizens, but they have to raise the wages, pay us all the benefits we can milk them, and if they don't like the work that we produce will file unemployment and get paid while we go hunting and fishing. that way we won't have this filth like they Ayaluna Turres heck i can't even pronounce this as i'm icapable of doing so. yeehawwww "

    disappointed wrote on Feb 8, 2007 5:14 PM:

    " what a crock thsi whole case was and is. she should have been charged. you do not jump on a cop. you and i would have paid dearly for that. thankfully that worthless prosecutor is gone now. to OBSERVER, some of us cannot get off work for this so try to understand that. i am glad your going. do us a favor and tell that worthless politician who never responds back to my letters that you are but one of thousands that are fed up with washington. no amnesty! "

    disappointed wrote on Feb 8, 2007 5:46 PM:

    " i write to lincoln and pryor every so often about the issue of illegal aliens invading this country. licoln once wrote me back telling me how great the mexican people are. pryor has yet to respond. they are about their party, not what is best for the safety of this country. as a life-long republican i will say that george w is as worthless as they come. oh for a brave politician to initiate the impeachment process for the pres having failed to safeguard the citizens of this country by not securing the southern border. we have this problem at the level of 12-20 million illegals and why, because he did not do his sworn duty. the result, cases like this one and the murders and the rapes and the drugs we have seen right here of late. "

    intheknow wrote on Feb 8, 2007 6:03 PM:

    " She never jumped on an officer. She tripped and fell and bumped into him and he fired. He shouldn't have had his finger onthe trigger inthe first place. Yes, she should have gone back to her home country, but she didn't get charged with a crime because she didn't commit one that day. "

    NuNyA wrote on Feb 9, 2007 1:19 PM:

    " RAZORBACK... YOUR AN IDIOT! and if you don't know how to spell, "DISSAPOINTED".. then don't post anything or use your spell check! ok RAZORBACK... if you want illegals gone... then lets see you go put the roof on my house in the 105 degree heat and STAY up there ALL DAY LONG! "

    NuNyA wrote on Feb 9, 2007 1:22 PM:

    " FIRST OF ALL.... THINK ABOUT BOTH SIDES TO THE STORY BEFORE YOU GO RANTING AND RAVING ABOUT ILLEGALS. "

    to razorback wrote on Feb 9, 2007 4:39 PM:

    " when your done putting in that roof in the 105 degree heat, i'll need you to do some landscaping, and when ever your done doing all the manual work, i'll probably scam you and not pay you. like alot of this caucasians contractors do. Any one of you guys want jobs go to katrina and break your backs over there, i know you hate the fact that your beloved usa city is being rebuild by illegals. "

    THE EYESORE wrote on Feb 9, 2007 5:36 PM:

    " Illegals here, Illegals there. How far can this go ? "

    Barb V. wrote on Feb 10, 2007 4:17 AM:

    " Did you guys see the story about the 1,800 students in Rogers & Springdale who are getting special math help for English language learners? "

    Support wrote on Feb 10, 2007 8:04 AM:

    " Bring back Andy Lee to Benton County! "


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