ICE nabs illegal immigrant accused of killing high school sweethearts in drunk driving crash: DHS
Noelia Saray Martinez-Avila was drunk and driving her SUV the wrong direction on a highway outside Madison on July 20, when she allegedly struck a vehicle and killed the two teens, according to police.
Passenger Hallie Helgeson, 18, died at the scene, while 19-year-old Brady Heiling, who was behind the wheel, ultimately succumbed to his injuries after fighting for his life for five days.
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3 Hallie Helgeson and Brady Heiling are seeing during a promposal.
Photos provided by DHS
Immigration agents collared Honduran national Martinez-Avila, 30, outside the Dane County jail on Aug. 13 as she waltzed out after posting her $250,000 bond, according to DHS.
ICE initially lodged a detainer with the Dane County jail on July 22 — but the sheriff denied the request, saying deportation would allow her to evade justice, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.
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Then, cops at the jail called ICE less than an hour before letting Martinez-Avila walk free, DHS said.
3 Mugshot of Noelia Saray Martinez-Avila.
Photos provided by DHS
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin railed against the local cops for giving ICE the small window to arrest the illegal immigrant.
'Despite this sanctuary jurisdiction giving ICE less than an hour notice to make the arrest, ICE arrested Martinez-Avila and ensured this public safety threat is not released on U.S. streets. Under Secretary Noem, these precious teens will not be forgotten, and we will fight for justice.'
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Martinez-Avila was convicted of driving drunk in November 2020 and was subsequently hit with several other traffic violations for driving without a license, speeding, following too closely and inattentive driving, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
With her rap sheet, the illegal immigrant was required to have a device installed in her car that blocks it from starting if the driver has alcohol in her system, according to the local news outlet. However, the device wasn't installed at the time of the fatal collision.
Cops found multiple open beer cans in Martinez-Avila's Chevy Suburban, which reeked of booze, according to the State Journal. Her eyes also appeared glassy as she couldn't complete a sobriety test.
3 Brady Heiling with his parents and siblings.
Jen Heiling/Facebook
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A breath test later determined that she had more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in her system, according to the outlet.
Martinez-Avila said she was heading to her home in Portage from Madison but couldn't recall her street name to authorities. She initially denied drinking that day, but later admitted she had two Modelos.
Heiling was airlifted from the crash and fought for his life through multiple unsuccessful surgeries.
'We are weak, weary and heart broken and need to rest,' Brady Heiling's mother, Jen Heiling, posted online following her organ-donor son's tragic death.
Martinez-Avila was charged with two counts of felony vehicular homicide and impaired driving.
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