College Student Killed by Illegal Immigrant, AGAIN!

A young college student's life was tragically cut short in Virginia by an illegal immigrant who had evaded deportation for years, raising serious questions about the enforcement of immigration laws.

An illegal immigrant who was ordered to be deported years ago has been arrested for a fatal car crash in Virginia that claimed the life of a young college student.

Elvis Jamir Cruz-Ferrera, an 18-year-old Honduran national, was taken into custody in February on manslaughter charges for a car crash in Chesapeake, Virginia, that killed 19-year-old Old Dominion University student Lauryn Ni’Kole Leonard, as reported by The Virginian-Pilot. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Cruz-Ferrera entered the U.S. illegally in 2016 and failed to appear for an immigration court hearing where he was ordered to be deported.

Cruz-Ferrera was initially apprehended by Border Patrol agents in McAllen, Texas, after crossing the border illegally as an unaccompanied minor in October 2016 at the age of 11. He was released from ICE custody and ordered to appear before an immigration judge in September 2018, but never showed up, leading to a deportation order.

Despite this, Cruz-Ferrera settled in southeastern Virginia, where he had multiple encounters with local law enforcement. In November 2023, he was charged with reckless driving and driving without a license, and again for driving without a license in January 2024. None of these incidents led to an investigation of his immigration status.

On February 19, Cruz-Ferrera was driving south on I-664 when his Pontiac Vibe collided with Leonard’s Toyota Solara, causing both vehicles to veer off the highway and crash into a guardrail, killing Leonard instantly. Cruz-Ferrera was charged with felony reckless driving, driving without a license, having no proof of insurance, and involuntary manslaughter.

Leonard’s mother, Dana Hargrove, expressed frustration that Cruz-Ferrera’s previous arrests did not trigger an investigation into his immigration status. "I think it’s crazy," she said. "Like, how come nobody looked into it? … She’s minding her own business and you come out of nowhere and just turned my life upside down.”

Leonard was a sophomore at Old Dominion University and had just shared the news with her family that she had secured a job conducting orientations for new students. Her brother, Erick Hargrove, also questioned why Cruz-Ferrera’s deportation was not enforced earlier, stating, "It’s a possibility that this wouldn’t have happened if the deportation happened when it was supposed to."

Leonard’s tragic death is one of several recent high-profile cases involving American women allegedly killed by illegal immigrants. Following the crash, ICE lodged a detainer for Cruz-Ferrera with the Chesapeake County Jail, seeking to take custody of him after his criminal proceedings are resolved.