A woman accused of hitting a 12-year-old girl with her car in Port Charlotte could be facing deportation after authorities discovered she was driving without a license.
Child injured in crash in Port Charlotte, driver charged
Florida Highway Patrol says 45-year-old Arlin Magali Monroy Salazar, originally from Guatemala, was driving without a license around 5:00 P.M. Thursday evening on Easy Street, near the intersection of Crescent Drive when she struck a 12-year-old who was riding on an electric scooter.
In Florida, driving without a license is a misdemeanor, but illegal immigration can be a felony under certain instances.
Court records show Monroy Salazar is now being held for Border Control.
Under recently enacted laws in Florida, state troopers and local law enforcement are required to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
The agreement calls for Florida law enforcement to "interrogate any suspected alien or person believed to be an alien as to their right to be in the United States. If they are found to be in violation of proper immigration status, they will be further detained and processed for State or Federal criminal offenses."
Florida Highway Patrol says the crash remains under investigation.
A neighbor who knows the girl and witnessed the crash called 911.
"It was awful, I saw everything that happened. It was a big bang. It was awful," the neighbor said.
Authorities say the child is in stable but serious condition.
Monroy Salazar does have a court hearing on the driving without a license charge coming up in late June.
An ICE detainer does not necessarily mean deportation, but Governor DeSantis has made it clear he is cracking down on immigration.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
