The couple involved in a deadly crash in Delano after attempting to flee from ICE agents was laid to rest on Monday, April 2nd.
35-year-old Santos Hilario Garcia and 33-year-old Marcelina Garcia Perfecto were on their way to work on March 13th when ICE agents pulled them over. The couple attempted to flee from the agents and crashed their vehicle, dying at the scene.
The couple left behind six children. Their services were held at Our Lady Guadalupe Church in Delano.
“We’re still working with the family to determine what the next steps are for them. They certainly have expressed that they want to ensure that they stay together and the family is united,” said Diana Tellefson Torres, the Executive Director of the UFW Foundation.
When asked about possible future legal action, Tellefson said it's not something that has been at the forefront of the UFW and UFW Foundation's mind.
“Both the UFW and the UFW Foundation have been focusing on providing the family with as many resources as possible, so that's something we're not discussing publicly as far as what legal actions may or may not be taken,” she said.
23ABC reached out to ICE, their spokesperson saying they did "not have anything further to add."
Back in March, ICE released the following statement regarding the deadly crash.
“On March 13, ICE deportation officers arrived at a residence believed to belong to a previously removed Mexican citizen. A male matching the target’s description exited the residence and entered a vehicle.
Officers performed a vehicle stop by activating their emergency equipment and as they attempted to engage the driver, the vehicle drove away at a high rate of speed.
As the officers departed the location of the attempted engagement, they came across the overturned vehicle and immediately dialed 911 for assistance. Local officials were on the scene moments later.
Both the driver and passenger in the vehicle passed away.
The male driver was identified as Santos Hilario Garcia, a citizen of Mexico, who was voluntarily returned to Mexico three times between 2008 and 2017 and was removed under the provisions of expedited removal in 2017.
Hilario’s criminal history includes a 2014 DUI conviction. The female passenger was identified as Marcelina Garcia Profecto. Garcia Profecto had no prior encounters with ICE.”
