An illegal migrant who killed an off-duty Las Vegas police officer in a wrong-way crash this month had been deported twice — but kept sneaking back into the country, authorities said.
Mexican citizen Fernando Jimenez-Jimenez, 31, was driving his Ford F-150 the wrong way on Interstate 15 on Dec. 12 when his vehicle crashed head on with Officer Colton Pulsipher, who was heading home from his shift, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Both the Jimenez and Pulsipher were pronounced dead at the scene.
Jimenez, 31, entered the US twice in 2019, when he was deported back to Mexico each time, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told local news outlets.
Jimenez later applied for admission into the US in Brownsville, Texas, in 2020, but failed to show for his immigration hearing a year later leading the judge to order his deportation in his absence, ICE said. But by that time, he was already roaming the country.
Cops found marijuana and alcohol when they searched Jimenez’s truck, according to KVVU. Meanwhile, a toxicology report is still pending.
Pulsipher had served as an officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, “where he worked tirelessly to protect and serve” his community since 2017, the department said in a Facebook post after the fatal collision.
He leaves behind a wife and three children, the department said.
Pulsipher was laid to rest on Dec. 18, escorted by his fellow officers.
“As we honor his legacy, we remember a man who truly embodied the spirit of service. He will forever hold a special place in our hearts,” LVMPD said in a post.
“Rest easy, Officer Pulsipher. We’ve got it from here.”
