POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Friday morning fender-bender in Davenport turned into a multi-county investigation after a driver took off, leading to a bump in charges due to his immigration status.
Polk County deputies caught up with 34-year-old Jose Valero-Colina following a rear-end collision on Lake Wilson Road. The victim told investigators she was stopped at a sign on January 30 when a silver Kia slammed into her from behind. After a brief face-to-face confrontation, the Kia driver reportedly sped away, leaving the woman to call 911.
The investigation quickly moved north into Orlando, where the suspect lived. When deputies knocked on Valero-Colina’s door, his wife reportedly admitted he had been in a wreck and left the scene because he was “nervous.”
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Valero-Colina eventually pulled up to the house in the damaged Kia and agreed to head back to Polk County to face the music. He later told authorities he simply didn’t notice the car in front of him had stopped and panicked after the impact.
While the base charge for leaving the scene is a first-degree misdemeanor, Florida’s current statutes pushed the offense up a level because Valero-Colina is an illegal immigrant from Venezuela.
Along with the criminal counts and a pair of traffic tickets for careless driving, he is now facing an ICE detainer at the local jail.
“Our roads are safer when everyone follows the law. Leaving the scene of a crash puts others at risk, and we will always hold offenders accountable,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
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