Manuel Orrego-Savala

BOONE COUNTY, Ind. – The man accused of killing a Colts player and an Uber driver during a drunk-driving crash earlier this month now faces additional charges out of Boone County.

Manuel Orrego-Savala was stopped by a Whitestown officer on March 24, 2017 for running a stop sign, according to court documents. He told officers his name was Alex Cabrera-Gonsales, and he handed over a Mexican identification card. Police determined he was not in the BMV.

He was formally charged with operating without a license on March 27, 2017.

It wasn’t until February 6, 2018 that Boone County investigators were notified of his real name, and that he previously gave false identification to police.

On February 13, 2018, a Boone County Prosecutor Todd Meyer charged Orrego-Savala with perjury, forgery, identity deception, and false informing.

These Boone County charges are in addition to the charges he faces out of Marion County: two counts of failure to remain at the scene of an accident and two counts of causing death when operating a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of .15 or more.

Prosecutors said Orrego-Savala, an undocumented immigrant who has been deported from the U.S. twice, crashed his truck on I-70 near Holt Road early Sunday morning. The driver, Jeffrey Monroe, and passenger, Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson, were standing outside their vehicle when Orrego-Savalas’ truck hit them.

A test showed his blood-alcohol content was nearly three times Indiana’s legal limit of .08.

Investigators said Orrego-Savala, who was in the country illegally, left the scene. An Indiana State trooper later apprehended him.

Orrego-Savala also faces a federal immigration charge, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Marion county Prosecutors say they will pursue the state charges before deferring to federal prosecutors.

Manuel Orrego-Savala

BOONE COUNTY, Ind. – The man accused of killing a Colts player and an Uber driver during a drunk-driving crash earlier this month now faces additional charges out of Boone County.

Manuel Orrego-Savala was stopped by a Whitestown officer on March 24, 2017 for running a stop sign, according to court documents. He told officers his name was Alex Cabrera-Gonsales, and he handed over a Mexican identification card. Police determined he was not in the BMV.

He was formally charged with operating without a license on March 27, 2017.

It wasn’t until February 6, 2018 that Boone County investigators were notified of his real name, and that he previously gave false identification to police.

On February 13, 2018, a Boone County Prosecutor Todd Meyer charged Orrego-Savala with perjury, forgery, identity deception, and false informing.

These Boone County charges are in addition to the charges he faces out of Marion County: two counts of failure to remain at the scene of an accident and two counts of causing death when operating a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of .15 or more.

Prosecutors said Orrego-Savala, an undocumented immigrant who has been deported from the U.S. twice, crashed his truck on I-70 near Holt Road early Sunday morning. The driver, Jeffrey Monroe, and passenger, Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson, were standing outside their vehicle when Orrego-Savalas’ truck hit them.

A test showed his blood-alcohol content was nearly three times Indiana’s legal limit of .08.

Investigators said Orrego-Savala, who was in the country illegally, left the scene. An Indiana State trooper later apprehended him.

Orrego-Savala also faces a federal immigration charge, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Marion county Prosecutors say they will pursue the state charges before deferring to federal prosecutors.

INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) – The man accused of driving drunk and killing a Colts player and Uber driver now knows how much trouble he’s in.

Wednesday, the Marion County prosecutor charged Manuel Orrego-Savala with leaving the scene of a wreck and causing the deaths while driving drunk.

The case is attracting national attention, including tweets by President Donald Trump that could affect the trial.

Manuel Orrego-Savala’s attorney, hired a day before the initial hearing, was already worried that his client won’t get a fair trial.

“I have serious concerns about that for the fact that he is an illegal immigrant and the peoples know that,” Torres said.

Orrego-Savala, police claim, was severely intoxicated when his pickup crashed early Sunday morning, killing Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and Uber driver Jeffery Monroe.

“One of the things we want to do is bring justice to the families,” chief trial deputy prosecutor Ryan Mears said after the hearing.

Investigators need to put Orrego-Savala in the driver’s seat of the pickup that crashed. He was seen running away and, according to court documents, admitted driving the truck, but then stopped answering a police officer’s questions. Prosecutors want Orrego-Savala’s DNA to compare it to blood found in the truck.

“It would be a helpful piece of evidence, but we believe there is strong circumstantial evidence in the case,” Mears said.

Orrego-Savala has numerous identities. Federal authorities say the Guatemalan is in the U.S. illegally and was deported twice before.

Tuesday, President Trump tweeted, “So disgraceful that a person illegally in our country killed Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson.” The President did not mention Monroe in his tweet.

Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry called the comments about the deadly crime “ghoulish and inappropriate.”

“Politicize it to talk about border security and ignoring the fact a second innocent man had died in this incident. It’s fair to say we were beyond aggravated,” he said.

Curry went on to explain that even with the publicity, he believes Orrego-Savala will get a fair trial.

“We have a horrible accident that’s resulted in the death of two individuals and we will prosecute the case like any other case,” he said.

Orrego-Savala has previous drunk driving convictions. Federal authorities are pursuing immigration charges.

Considered a flight risk and threat to public safety, Orrego-Savala is jailed on a $200,000 bond. That’s five times higher than the bond typically associated with the charges against him.

Orrego-Savala will be tried on the criminal charges, before facing immigration charges in federal court.

Suspect in Crash that Killed Indianapolis Colts Player, Uber Driver Formally Charged

Updated February 7, 2018 10:46 AM | Filed under: Crime

(INDIANAPOLIS) – The man accused of killing a Colts player and an Uber driver during a drunk-driving crash this weekend faces multiple charges in connection with the case.

According to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, Manuel Orrego-Zavala was charged with two counts of failure to remain at the scene of an accident and two counts of causing death when operating a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of .15 or more.

Prosecutors said Orrego-Zavala, an undocumented immigrant who has been deported from the U.S. twice, crashed his truck on I-70 near Holt Road early Sunday morning. The driver, Jeffrey Monroe, and passenger, Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson, were standing outside their vehicle when Orrego-Zavalas’ truck hit them.

A test showed his blood-alcohol content was nearly three times Indiana’s legal limit of .08.

Investigators said Orrego-Zavala, who was in the country illegally, left the scene. An Indiana State trooper later apprehended him. He appeared in court Wednesday for an initial hearing.

Orrego-Zavala also faces a federal immigration charge, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

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The prosecutor’s office in Marion County, Ind., filed four charges Wednesday against Manuel Orrego-Savala, the illegal immigrant from Guatemala who was taken into custody following a car crash that killed Indianapolis Colts player Edwin Jackson and Uber driver Jeffrey Monroe on Sunday.

Orrego-Savala was charged with two counts of causing death when operating a motor vehicle and two counts of failure to remain at the scene of an accident for the fatal crash three days earlier.

“We will vigorously prosecute this matter, just like any comparable crime, not because of the immigration status of an accused, but because two innocent men lost their lives in this horrible incident,” Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry said in a statement.

During his first court appearance Tuesday, Orrego-Savala told the judge through an interpreter, “I wasn’t driving the car. I don’t know why I’m here.”

Early Sunday morning, Monroe had been driving Jackson on I-70 in Marion County when he pulled over on the side of the highway because Jackson did not feel well. Both men exited the car and were standing in the emergency shoulder when police say Orrego-Savala, 37, drove his pick-up truck into them.

The suspect left the scene of the crash, but was later apprehended by police. A breath test by law enforcement found he had a blood-alcohol level of nearly 0.24 percent, three times the legal level.

Orrego-Savala had also been driving without a license and told police his name was Alex Cabrera Gonsales. He was later confirmed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to have been deported on two previous occasions and have been charged and convicted on “many” other crimes.

Following news of the deaths, President Trump demanded that Congress eliminate loopholes that allowed the twice-deported illegal immigrant to kill the two men.

“So disgraceful that a person illegally in our country killed @Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson. This is just one of many such preventable tragedies. We must get the Dems to get tough on the Border, and with illegal immigration, FAST!” Trump tweeted Tuesday.

Curry lambasted Trump’s response to the incident.

“We are disheartened that ghoulish and inappropriate public commentary has politicized this tragedy. Much of such commentary, including tweets by the president, fails to acknowledge that both Edwin Jackson and Jeffrey Monroe lost their lives on Sunday. We will simply seek justice on behalf of the families of those two victims,” said Curry.

Curry’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.more

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A federal immigration charge has been filed against the suspected drunk driver accused of striking and killing a Colts player and an Uber driver on I-70 on Sunday.

U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler announced Tuesday that 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala has been charged with illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien.

“The defendant in this case allegedly re-entered the country illegally for the second time before he put the public safety of Indianapolis at risk and took the lives of two innocent men early Sunday morning,” said Minkler. “In April, Attorney General Sessions directed all federal prosecutors to prioritize charging aliens that illegally re-enter the country, especially if they are a risk to public safety or there is a criminal history present. Following the rule of law is the foundation of our American democracy, and my office is committed to fulfilling the Attorney General’s directive.”

Police say Orrego-Savala was arrested after crashing into linebacker Edwin Jackson and Uber driver Jeffrey Monroe. During his arrest, the suspect reportedly provided law enforcement with the alias, “Alex G. Cabrera,” but Homeland Security agents soon learned his true identity was Manuel Orrego-Savala, a citizen of Guatemala.

Indiana State Police said Orrego-Savala, an undocumented immigrant who is in the country illegally, had been deported in both 2007 and 2009. According to ICE, Orrego-Savala was convicted in 2005 for driving under the influence in Redwood City, California. Additionally, he was charged with driving without a license last year in Boone County.

Orrego-Savala will remain in custody while the case is investigated by the Indiana State Police and the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.

According to Assistant United States Attorney William McCoskey who is prosecuting this case for the government, Orrego-Savala faces up to 10 years of imprisonment if convicted.

Court papers show Orrego-Savala was convicted of driving without a license in 2017 in Boone County. Allegedly, Orrego-Savala used the same alias, Alex Cabrera Gonsales after Sunday’s crash as he did in last year’s case.

“(I’m) frustrated also in the fact that you prosecute somebody, they plead guilty to the offense and then they turn around and continue to commit it,” said Boone County Prosecutor Todd Meyer.

Meyer called for an investigation to be opened into the identity of Orrego-Savala.

Editor’s note: Federal prosecutors initially said that the suspect’s last name was spelled “Zavala.” During a later hearing, he and his attorney said his name was spelled “Savala.” The judge ordered all other spellings to be taken off court documents.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A federal immigration charge has been filed against the suspected drunk driver accused of striking and killing a Colts player and an Uber driver on I-70 on Sunday.

U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler announced Tuesday that 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala has been charged with illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien.

“The defendant in this case allegedly re-entered the country illegally for the second time before he put the public safety of Indianapolis at risk and took the lives of two innocent men early Sunday morning,” said Minkler. “In April, Attorney General Sessions directed all federal prosecutors to prioritize charging aliens that illegally re-enter the country, especially if they are a risk to public safety or there is a criminal history present. Following the rule of law is the foundation of our American democracy, and my office is committed to fulfilling the Attorney General’s directive.”

Police say Orrego-Savala was arrested after crashing into linebacker Edwin Jackson and Uber driver Jeffrey Monroe. During his arrest, the suspect reportedly provided law enforcement with the alias, “Alex G. Cabrera,” but Homeland Security agents soon learned his true identity was Manuel Orrego-Savala, a citizen of Guatemala.

Indiana State Police said Orrego-Savala, an undocumented immigrant who is in the country illegally, had been deported in both 2007 and 2009. According to ICE, Orrego-Savala was convicted in 2005 for driving under the influence in Redwood City, California. Additionally, he was charged with driving without a license last year in Boone County.

Orrego-Savala will remain in custody while the case is investigated by the Indiana State Police and the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.

According to Assistant United States Attorney William McCoskey who is prosecuting this case for the government, Orrego-Savala faces up to 10 years of imprisonment if convicted.

Court papers show Orrego-Savala was convicted of driving without a license in 2017 in Boone County. Allegedly, Orrego-Savala used the same alias, Alex Cabrera Gonsales after Sunday’s crash as he did in last year’s case.

“(I’m) frustrated also in the fact that you prosecute somebody, they plead guilty to the offense and then they turn around and continue to commit it,” said Boone County Prosecutor Todd Meyer.

Meyer called for an investigation to be opened into the identity of Orrego-Savala.

Editor’s note: Federal prosecutors initially said that the suspect’s last name was spelled “Zavala.” During a later hearing, he and his attorney said his name was spelled “Savala.” The judge ordered all other spellings to be taken off court documents.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A federal immigration charge has been filed against the suspected drunk driver accused of striking and killing a Colts player and an Uber driver on I-70 on Sunday.

U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler announced Tuesday that 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Zavala has been charged with illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien.

“The defendant in this case allegedly re-entered the country illegally for the second time before he put the public safety of Indianapolis at risk and took the lives of two innocent men early Sunday morning,” said Minkler. “In April, Attorney General Sessions directed all federal prosecutors to prioritize charging aliens that illegally re-enter the country, especially if they are a risk to public safety or there is a criminal history present. Following the rule of law is the foundation of our American democracy, and my office is committed to fulfilling the Attorney General’s directive.”

Police say Orrego-Zavala was arrested after crashing into linebacker Edwin Jackson and Uber driver Jeffrey Monroe. During his arrest, the suspect reportedly provided law enforcement with the alias, “Alex G. Cabrera,” but Homeland Security agents soon learned his true identity was Manuel Orrego-Zavala, a citizen of Guatemala.

Indiana State Police said Orrego-Savala, an undocumented immigrant who is in the country illegally, had been deported in both 2007 and 2009. According to ICE, Orrego-Savala was convicted in 2005 for driving under the influence in Redwood City, California. Additionally, he was charged with driving without a license last year in Boone County.

Orrego-Zavala will remain in custody while the case is investigated by the Indiana State Police and the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.

According to Assistant United States Attorney William McCoskey who is prosecuting this case for the government, Orrego-Zavala faces up to 10 years of imprisonment if convicted.

Court papers show Orrego-Zavala was convicted of driving without a license in 2017 in Boone County. Allegedly, Orrego-Zavala used the same alias, Alex Cabrera Gonsales after Sunday’s crash as he did in last year’s case.

“(I’m) frustrated also in the fact that you prosecute somebody, they plead guilty to the offense and then they turn around and continue to commit it,” said Boone County Prosecutor Todd Meyer.

Meyer called for an investigation to be opened into the identity of Orrego-Zavala.