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ICE Lodges Detainer for Suspect in Durham Fatal Hit-and-Run

The request allows federal agents up to 48 hours to take custody if the jailed defendant is released on bond.

Overview

  • The detainer targets Werner Orosco-Clemente, also known as Wilmer Fuentes-Mejia, accused of killing 61-year-old Richard Ferguson Jr. in a Sept. 13 crash on Chalk Level Road.
  • Durham police say the driver ran off the road, struck two signs, then hit Ferguson, and officials allege he was driving under the influence.
  • Court records list charges including involuntary manslaughter, felony hit-and-run causing death, driving while license revoked for impairment, reckless driving, and failure to maintain control.
  • The defendant remains in the Durham County Detention Center on a $5 million secured bond, and the ICE detainer would apply only if he posts bond.
  • DHS says the suspect is a Guatemalan national deported in 2020 who later re-entered the U.S. illegally, and officials criticized prior local releases after DUI and assault arrests.