PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — For 10 years, Alfredo De Jesus Ascencio managed to avoid the long arm of the law. The Oregon resident fled to Mexico after being involved in a 2007 car crash that killed 2 people, including Marion County Deputy Kelly James Fredinburg.
But in January 2017, De Jesus Ascencio was arrested by Mexican authorities for the decade-old crash. Even though he likely would never have been extradited to Oregon to stand trial, he was expected to stand trial in Mexico under an international agreement.
Friday, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office announced that, due to an administrative error,” De Jesus Ascencio was released from a federal prison in Mexico back in February.
Authorities said they did not make this known publicly “until now due to ongoing attempts to locate De Jesus Ascencio.”
The Oregon State Police, the Marion County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the US Embassy, Interpol and the Mexican Attorney General’s office have coordinated efforts in their attempt to find the fugitive.The crash
De Jesus Ascencio, who was 20 at the time, was identified as the driver of the car that hit Fredinburg’s patrol car on June 16, 2007. A passenger in De Jesus Ascencio’s car, Oscar Amaya of Woodburn, also died. Another passenger suffered minor injuries, and De Jesus Ascencio himself was seriously hurt.
He was taken to the hospital and then later released. On August 3, 2007, he was charged with 2 counts of criminally negligent homicide.
KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this story.
