A Houston County judge set a bond Monday for a 39-year-old man who reportedly has been deported from the United States 28 times.
District Court Judge John Steensland set a $20,000 cash bond for Luis Hernandez-Arellano, a native of Mexico.
Houston County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jackie Smith, the department’s narcotics supervisor, said he charged the man with felony obstruction of justice last week for giving deputies false identification. Smith said deputies stopped a vehicle on Alabama Highway 109 Thursday for running a stop sign. The driver told deputies his name was Caesar Garza. After Garza failed to provide a driver’s license or other identification, deputies were able to positively identify him as Carlos Cortez. Cortez had posted a $15,000 cash bond in Geneva County a week earlier for felony conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
According to a Houston County Sheriff’s Office statement, investigators learned through Immigration and Customs Enforcement that Cortez is actually Luis Hernandez-Arellano.
Smith argued against a bond in the case because of the suspect’s previous criminal history.
“He’s been deported 28 times, and he’s been in federal prison on weapons and drug charges,” Smith said.
Warren Rowe, who has been retained to represent a client he referred to as Carlos Cortez, questioned Smith about why he as an investigator was called to the traffic stop.
“This is a bondable offense, he’s entitled to a bond,” Rowe said.
Assistant Houston County District Attorney David Atwell argued against a bond in the case.
“This individual has 32 aliases on his rap sheet,” Atwell said. “I don’t think he has any reason to show up for court.”
Assistant Geneva County District Attorney Stephen Smith said he filed a motion to revoke bond at the Geneva County Courthouse on Monday because of Cortez’s additional obstruction charge in Houston County.
http://www.dothaneagle.com/dea/news/crime_courts/article/bond_set_for_man_deported_28_times/83967/
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