A driver suspected of driving drunk and causing a crash that caused a Southern California boy to have head injuries was deported to Mexico 15 times in the past, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Constantino Banda-Acosta was arrested Saturday night on DUI charges after the crash occurred in the San Ysidro area of San Diego. A passenger who was with him was also arrested.
Benjamin Lake, his wife Ingrid and their 6-year-old son Lennox were on their way home from Disneyland when police said Banda drove his truck through a stop sign and hit their car.
Lennox is currently hospitalized with severe injuries, including brain trauma.
ICE Public Affairs Officer Lauren Mack released the following statement Tuesday about Banda-Acosta:
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged a detainer against Mr. Banda seeking to take him into custody if and when he is released by local authorities to pursue additional immigration enforcement action and/or criminal prosecution. Department of Homeland Security databases indicate Mr. Banda-Acosta has been repatriated to Mexico at least 15 times since 2002, most recently in January 2017.
Banda-Acosta's estranged wife, who did not want to give her identity, said he was deported on Jan. 10 and showed up at their home in Chula Vista, Calif., on Jan. 20.
KGTV-TV in San Diego learned Banda has a criminal record that includes two arrests on domestic violence charges in Chula Vista. His most recent arrest was on Jan. 9, 2017.