On November 22nd Honorable Judge Sid Harle sentenced Emmy Abigail Fuentes (pictured below)who is from the Houston area, to 5 years in prison for the offense of Evading Arrest. On February 3, 2021, a LaSalle County Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to pull over 22 year old Fuentes for failing to maintain a single lane. After Fuentes came to a stop, and as the deputy got out of his vehicle and approached the driver’s side, Fuentes immediately sped off. The vehicle traveled for almost five miles and reached speeds of up to 110 mph. At one point, Fuentes slowed down enough so that several individuals (presumably undocumented illegals) could jump out of her vehicle and flee into the brush. Fuentes only came to a complete stop once all the individuals in her vehicle had fled. She was immediately arrested. Ms. Fuentes had no prior criminal history.
While there was not enough evidence to support a conviction under Texas law for smuggling illegals, we will continue to fully prosecute these offenders and protect our communities from these irresponsible, careless acts that put lives at risk. This sentence should serve as a warning to those wishing to make a quick buck smuggling illegals and running from law enforcement - if you are caught in our district regardless of your age or clean criminal record, you run the risk of going to prison.
I am proud of the dedication and hard work of our all our local law enforcement officers as well as DPS troopers from around the state that continue to work to protect our communities. I am grateful for the service of First Assistant District Attorney, Leslie Carranza for her successful prosecution of this case, as well as handling an increased caseload during this border crisis.