Search For Rape Suspect Nets Illegal Immigrants
Police Searching For Juan Villa
POSTED: 3:05 pm CDT July 3,
2007
UPDATED: 12:14 pm CDT July 4,
2007
COLUMBIA, Tenn. -- Police said what began as a rape investigation in Maury County unexpectedly turned into the arrest of 18 illegal immigrants.
Video: Teen Rape Suspect Pursued By Maury County PoliceFederal agents made the arrests as Maury County detectives looked for Juan Villa, 24, who is an illegal immigrant himself.Villa is accused of raping a 15-year-old girl just hours after he was released from the jail this past weekend. No stranger to local law enforcement, Villa has been arrested 11 previous times in Maury County.Illegal immigration is already a hot topic across the entire state. But in Maury County there have been several high profile raids in the last two months alone.In May, 38 illegal immigrants were arrested in Maury County, and 24 more people were apprehended in June."Both sides are so divergent, the discussion doesn't seem to hit a common ground," said immigration attorney Sean Lewis, who has handled some of the recent cases.Some friends of Villa told Channel 4 News that they think he is in Mexico.The illegal immigrants that were arrested on Tuesday will likely be transferred to Louisiana, where they will enter the federal court system for deportation.
Video: Teen Rape Suspect Pursued By Maury County PoliceFederal agents made the arrests as Maury County detectives looked for Juan Villa, 24, who is an illegal immigrant himself.Villa is accused of raping a 15-year-old girl just hours after he was released from the jail this past weekend. No stranger to local law enforcement, Villa has been arrested 11 previous times in Maury County.Illegal immigration is already a hot topic across the entire state. But in Maury County there have been several high profile raids in the last two months alone.In May, 38 illegal immigrants were arrested in Maury County, and 24 more people were apprehended in June."Both sides are so divergent, the discussion doesn't seem to hit a common ground," said immigration attorney Sean Lewis, who has handled some of the recent cases.Some friends of Villa told Channel 4 News that they think he is in Mexico.The illegal immigrants that were arrested on Tuesday will likely be transferred to Louisiana, where they will enter the federal court system for deportation.
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- July 1, 2007: Clinton Criticizes Thompson's Cuba Remark
- June 28, 2007: Immigrant Advocates Deliver Pie To Senators
- June 22, 2007: Corker: Senate Immigration Proposal Too 'Grandiose'
- May 14, 2007: State Creates Unenforceable Immigration Law
- May 8, 2007: I-Team Findings Have Lawmakers Talking
- April 13, 2007: Police Make Possible Illegal Immigration Bust
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