Suspected illegal alien mistakenly released on bond (in GA)

Chattanooga Times Free Press ^ | October 05, 2007 | Ryan Harris

[Tennessee Nana]

DALTON, Ga. -- A suspected illegal alien arrested on child pornography charges was mistakenly freed on bond, a federal immigration official said Thursday.

"That is one of the ones that fell through the cracks, unfortunately," said Steve Peluso, an agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"It's never a perfect system and this exemplifies it."

Juan Carlos Ruiz-Pineda, 27, was arrested Sept. 28 after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation obtained a warrant to search his Dalton apartment, officials said. He was released the next day on $25,000 bond, records show.

Whitfield County Sheriff Scott Chitwood said personnel contacted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security when Mr. Ruiz-Pineda was booked, and the notification was documented.

An "illegal alien query" form provided by the Whitfield County Sheriff's Department indicated that federal agents did not request that Mr. Ruiz-Pineda be held for turnover to federal custody.

"We did what we were supposed to do," Sheriff Chitwood said, citing the Georgia law that requires checks on felons suspected of being in the country illegally.

Agent Peluso said the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency was not notified that Mr. Ruiz-Pineda was a suspected illegal alien until after he was released. He said he doesn't know how the mistake was made.

"You hate to point fingers," Agent Peluso said. "There was a mistake made somewhere. But at this point and time I don't know where it was (made)."

He said federal officers are actively seeking information on Mr. Ruiz-Pineda, but added he is "not very optimistic" that Mr. Ruiz-Pineda will be apprehended.

Jerry Scott, the assistant GBI agent in charge of the Calhoun, Ga., office, said the child pornography investigation began after Mr. Ruiz-Pineda was detected online of transmitting suspected child pornography.

Agent Scott said the investigation is continuing and more charges could be pending.

"We seized quite a bit of material," he said. "Not necessarily all of it has been determined to be child pornography. We'll have to review the items seized and see if any additional charges will be filed."

E-mail Ryan Harris at rharris@timesfreepress.com

[Tennessee Nana]

He said federal officers are actively seeking information on Mr. Ruiz-Pineda, but added he is "not very optimistic" that Mr. Ruiz-Pineda will be apprehended.

Ahhhhhhh no...he's long gone...

[Tennessee Nana]

PING

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Gone South...:0(

[org.whodat]

"You hate to point fingers," Agent Peluso said. "There was a mistake made somewhere. But at this point and time I don't know where it was (made)."

Well I think one mistake was in letting you have a job, agent Peluso. Do you walk backward up to the pay window. Hope someone is getting some benefit out of you because it sure isn't the tax payer.

[Eric Blair 2084]

The NE liberal disease will take a few more years to infect the South. Here in the DPRNJ, we had a child molestor released on bond who killed 3 college kids. The libs initially blamed it on gun control until they found out that he was an illegal. It's a lesson for the rest of the country on WHAT NOT TO DO. Don't make this the peckin g order in your state if you want freedom:

Politicians

Unions

Environmentalists

Liberal Media

Homosexuals

Illegal Immigrants

Criminals

Terrorists

IV Drug Users

Mentally Retarded

Transvestites

Military

Private Property Owners

Unborn Children

Rush Limbaugh

Gun Owners

Smokers

Taxpayers

[Eric Blair 2084]

BTW I forgive you for doubting my intentions on a vanity I posted re amnesty and a border fence a few months ago. You probably don’t remember, but I have a memory like an elephant. I accept your apology in advance.

If you aren’t really a nana than I should have told you back then. But my nana raised me while my Mom worked. So I have respect for any nana.

[k33j88]

Here in ARIZONA we have an illegal hot-line, do you?

[television is just wrong]

He has just changed his name and is employed somewhere right under their noses.

Foolish courts.

[Tennessee Nana]

TN is just 20 miles north as the crow flies...

[jwparkerjr]

re: You hate to point fingers

Of course you do, but sometimes it’s just not possible to avoid it. In this case the finger should be pointing toward the exit at someone’e employer and toward the unemployment benefits line. However, in some states being fired for cause means the unemployed person can’t collect benefits.