WASHINGTON – After getting deported an astounding 15 times, an illegal immigrant is accused of critically injuring a 6-year-old boy in a drunken hit-and-run collision in California.
Lennox Lake and his family were a block away from their house, returning from Disneyland, when Mexican national Constantino Banda-Acosta ran a stop sign while driving under the influence before ramming into the family’s vehicle and driving away.
Banda-Acosta’s Chevrolet Silverado hit the side where Lennox was sitting in his car seat, leaving him unconscious, his grandmother Cheryl Lake explained.
Benjamin and Ingrid Lake suffered minor injuries, but Lennox was gravely injured. He was bleeding from his nostrils and his ears.
San Diego police apprehended the Banda-Acosta 30 minutes after the collision, along with another illegal immigrant who accompanied him.
Watch Benjamin Lake discuss crash and injuries to son Lennox:
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement is prohibited from providing details on dates and locations pertaining to Banda-Acosta’s deportation history due to privacy restrictions, but confirmed that he was deported in November 2002, was last deported on Jan. 18 and has been kicked out of the United States 15 times over the course of 15 years.
Court records reveal that Banda-Acosta, who was being held on $100,000 bail, has a history of driving under the influence. He was arrested and charged with a DUI in February in 2006. He was arrested in 2009 and twice in 2011 for driving with a suspended license and was charged with a DUI in 2009. In 2007, he was accused of a domestic violence incident by his estranged wife.
Lennox reportedly has undergone two surgeries following the accident and, according to the family, will need to be in the hospital another 10-11 days on IV antibiotics to fight a bacterial infection in his cranium:
“The culture results came back today and unfortunately there is bacteria in the cranium, so Lennox will need to be in hospital on IV antibiotics for at least 10-11 more days,” Lennox’ family member explained. “We did find out the driver of the truck was 2x over the legal limit for blood alcohol levels, and had been deported earlier this year for a prior drunk driving arrest.”
Doctors are “cautiously optimistic” the boy will make a full recovery, his grandmother said.
Lennox’s family set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for medical bills and a replacement car for the family.
“Right now he has a lot of swelling and can’t open either of his eyes, so he’s scared about why he can’t see,” his father, Ben Lake, told FOX5. “I just really care about bringing him home and making sure he’s happy again.”
Cheryl Lake was stunned by the number of times Banda-Acosta has been able to enter the country illegally.
“There are not enough words to describe the huge impact his actions have had,” she told the Union-Tribune.
ICE Public Affairs Officer Lauren Mack released a statement Tuesday assuring that Banda-Acosta will be released to the agency once his criminal case is settled and sent back to Mexico.
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged a detainer against Mr. Banda seeking to take him into custody if and when he is released by local authorities to pursue additional immigration enforcement action and/or criminal prosecution,” the statement reads. “Department of Homeland Security databases indicate Mr. Banda-Acosta has been repatriated to Mexico at least 15 times since 2002, most recently in January 2017.”
Given Banda-Acosta’s immigration history, Lennox and his family are eligible for assistance from the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement office, or VOICE, an office newly created by the Trump administration.
The office, which was in implemented by executive order last month, aids victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens. It is also designed to study statistics related to illegal immigrants and crime.
Upon being deported again, Banda-Acosta is significantly less likely to cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally a 16th time. While President Trump has yet to build the border wall or hire more agents, the administration’s commitment to enforcing the law has changed the reality along the border. Illegal immigration across the southern border is down 76 percent since Trump has taken office.
