State Police say a drunken driving suspect was released last month because he was “ineligible for pre-arraignment detention under the court’s policies” in Wayne County. That suspect, Heriberto Perez-Velasquez, then struck and killed a man driving a tractor on the shoulder of Route 31 in Cayuga County last weekend while also driving drunk.
Perez-Velasquez is an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, who was released by Wayne County court officials on an appearance ticket after he was arrested on October 18th in the Town of Butler. State Police say he failed field sobriety tests and tried to run from a trooper. He was taken into custody, and his blood alcohol level was tested at nearly three times the legal limit.
Perez-Velazquez was charged with aggravated DWI and a judge recommended he be held on bail. Troopers suspecting he was an illegal contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection, but they didn’t have anyone available to interview him. CBP requested that he be detained. Despite that, he was released to a sober third party.
Less than a month later he drove drunk again, striking and killing 59-year-old Mark Knapp of Weedsport as Knapp drove his tractor on the shoulder of Route 31. Deputies say Perez-Velazquez ran from the scene but was arrested nearby.