An illegal alien is accused of killing 48-year-old Mark Deane of Gretna, Louisiana, a longtime local journalist and producer, in a crash on the Crescent City Connection bridge on August 23.
Jorge Alberto Martinez-Sanchez, a 29-year-old illegal alien who was previously denied a visa to enter the United States, has been arrested and charged with negligent homicide, reckless operation, and driving without a license in connection with Deane’s death.
According to Louisiana State Police, Deane was driving his motorcycle across the Crescent City Connection bridge on the morning of August 23 when Martinez-Sanchez ran into the back of him.
Martinez-Sanchez had been driving without a license and was speeding at the time. Deane, who was wearing a proper helmet, went airborne, and he died at the scene of the crash.
Martinez-Sanchez then collided with another vehicle. He and the person driving the other vehicle were uninjured in the crash.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed to WDSU that Martinez-Sanchez is an illegal alien living in the U.S. Martinez-Sanchez was reportedly denied a visitor visa to the U.S. in 2019.
“It never should have happened. Our Administration will continue to fight back against the radical immigration policies of the Harris/Biden Administration that allowed for this tragedy to occur,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) said in a statement:
Sharon and I are saddened to hear about the tragic loss of WGNO producer, Mark Deane. It never should have happened.
Our Administration will continue to fight back against the radical immigration policies of the Harris/Biden Administration that allowed for this tragedy to…
— Governor Jeff Landry (@LAGovJeffLandry) August 27, 2024
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said her office is prosecuting the case and has, so far, ensured that Martinez-Sanchez is not released from jail on bail.
“Heartbreaking! The person responsible for this horrific crash, 29-year-old Jorge Martinez-Sanchez, is an illegal alien. Our office is prosecuting the case and has secured detention without bond,” Murrill wrote in a statement.
Deane was a native of New Orleans. He worked on and off as a news editor as well as a sports journalist at local station WGNO for more than 20 years after graduating from Loyola University. Deane leaves behind his son, Lucas Deane, along with countless family members and friends.
“Mark was loving, compassionate, and, most of all, a very caring person to all,” Deane’s obituary reads:
He enjoyed spending time finding adventure. He was an avid and dedicated musician. He was a talented guitarist and played multiple wind instruments through high school and college. He loved electronics. He dabbled in audio/video equipment, video editing, podcasting with friends, and software development. He was considered an absolute grill master and mixologist. However, his true passion was spending time with his loving family and friends. What he enjoyed the most was caring for his mother and being an exceptional role model to his son, whom he devoted all of his time to. Mark was unique and irreplaceable, well respected and liked, and will be deeply and dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.
Martinez-Sanchez remains held without bail in Orleans Parish Lockup.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
