PULKASKI COUNTY, AR - Authorities with the Arkansas State Police (ASP) confirmed that 39-year-old Maynor Sorto-Herrera was arrested on September 9th in connection with a car crash that killed 48-year-old Jennifer Ann Morton of Little Rock.
According to KARK, ASP said that Herrera, who is a native of Honduras and has been illegally living in Alexander, was driving a truck south on Arch Street on the morning of September 8th when his vehicle crossed into the northbound lane, striking Morton's car. In October 2018, Herrera was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol near Laredo, Texas.
He was removed from the United States and transported back to Honduras on November 5, 2018. It is unclear when he returned back to the United States. He is facing felony charges and is being held for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Herrera was spotted walking away from the scene of the crash and wound up at UAMS for treatment of the injuries he sustained.
He was later arrested and taken to the Pulaski County Detention Center where he was charged with Negligent Homicide, Battery, DUI, Violation of the Concealed Weapons Act, Reckless Driving, Driving without a License, Failure to Stop after an Accident with Death, and numerous other traffic violations.
In a statement, ASP Colonel Mike Hagar said, "Our hearts are heavy for the Morton family as they are devasted by the loss of Jennifer, who devoted her life to compassionate care of children. I know our Troopers want to honor her memory by doing their part to make sure this man is held responsible for her death."
Morton was a respiratory therapist who worked in the infant toddler unit of the Arkansas Children's Hospital. She graduated from Little Rock Mills High School in 1993, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of the Ozarks, and then got her license in respiratory therapy at the University of Arkansas of Medical Sciences. She spent 24 years at Arkansas Children's Hospital.
Since the incident, political leaders have voiced their concerns about the illegal immigrant crisis plaguing many cities around the country. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that every tool would be available to prosecute the man responsible. She also criticized the Biden-Harris administration on its border policies. She said, "It's time for the federal government to step up, close the border, and end the mayhem in our communities."
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton also weighed in on the arrest, claiming that the crash was the effect of "reckless policies." On X he wrote, "This tragedy is another sobering reminder that reckless policies can turn every state into a border state." Herrera has pleaded guilty to all charges filed against him and is scheduled to be back in court in November.
According to KARK, ASP said that Herrera, who is a native of Honduras and has been illegally living in Alexander, was driving a truck south on Arch Street on the morning of September 8th when his vehicle crossed into the northbound lane, striking Morton's car. In October 2018, Herrera was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol near Laredo, Texas.
He was removed from the United States and transported back to Honduras on November 5, 2018. It is unclear when he returned back to the United States. He is facing felony charges and is being held for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Herrera was spotted walking away from the scene of the crash and wound up at UAMS for treatment of the injuries he sustained.
He was later arrested and taken to the Pulaski County Detention Center where he was charged with Negligent Homicide, Battery, DUI, Violation of the Concealed Weapons Act, Reckless Driving, Driving without a License, Failure to Stop after an Accident with Death, and numerous other traffic violations.
In a statement, ASP Colonel Mike Hagar said, "Our hearts are heavy for the Morton family as they are devasted by the loss of Jennifer, who devoted her life to compassionate care of children. I know our Troopers want to honor her memory by doing their part to make sure this man is held responsible for her death."
Morton was a respiratory therapist who worked in the infant toddler unit of the Arkansas Children's Hospital. She graduated from Little Rock Mills High School in 1993, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of the Ozarks, and then got her license in respiratory therapy at the University of Arkansas of Medical Sciences. She spent 24 years at Arkansas Children's Hospital.
Since the incident, political leaders have voiced their concerns about the illegal immigrant crisis plaguing many cities around the country. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that every tool would be available to prosecute the man responsible. She also criticized the Biden-Harris administration on its border policies. She said, "It's time for the federal government to step up, close the border, and end the mayhem in our communities."
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton also weighed in on the arrest, claiming that the crash was the effect of "reckless policies." On X he wrote, "This tragedy is another sobering reminder that reckless policies can turn every state into a border state." Herrera has pleaded guilty to all charges filed against him and is scheduled to be back in court in November.
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