Illegal immigrant allegedly killed journalist in car accident in New Orleans

A man who was in the country illegally and accused of beating and killing a New Orleans, Louisiana, journalist on Friday was reportedly arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a court hearing on Tuesday.

Jorge Martinez-Sanchez, 29, has been charged with negligent homicide, reckless driving and driving without a license in connection with an accident that occurred shortly after 7:30 a.m. Friday.

Louisiana State Police said officers were called to a multi-vehicle crash on the Crescent City Connection Bridge in downtown New Orleans this morning. When they arrived, they learned that 48-year-old Mark Deane of Gretna, Louisiana, had died in the crash.

A preliminary investigation revealed that Deane was riding a Yamaha motorcycle eastbound on the Crescent City Bridge when, for reasons still unknown, he was struck from behind by a Toyota Camry driven by Martinez-Sanchez.

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Jorge Martinez-Sanchez, who is in the United States illegally, has been charged with negligent homicide and other traffic-related offenses after allegedly causing an accident at a New Orleans broadcast station that left a sports producer dead. (Attorney General of Louisiana, Liz Murrill)

According to police, Dean and the motorcycle were thrown through the air by the collision before the Camry rammed the rear of a Nissan Rogue.

According to police, Deane was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident; he was wearing a Department of Transport-approved helmet.

Martinez-Sanchez and the driver of the Rogue, police said, were both wearing seat belts and were not injured in the accident.

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The Crescent City Connection and downtown New Orleans. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A local NBC station reported that prosecutors had asked that Martinez-Sanchez be held without bail because he poses a flight risk.

During the trial, it was revealed that the suspect was an illegal immigrant who was denied a visitor visa applied for in 2019.

ICE told Fox News Digital that its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in New Orleans filed an immigration arrest warrant against Martinez-Sanchez with the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office after he was arrested by Louisiana State Police.

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ICE reportedly arrested Jorge Martinez-Sanchez during a court appearance on Tuesday after determining he was in the United States illegally. (Getty Images)

ICE added that Martinez entered the United States from an unknown location at an unknown time without permission or parole from an immigration officer.

During his court appearance on Tuesday, the station reported, the defendant told the judge that he was reaching for his coffee when the accident happened and when he looked up, he hit the back of Deane's motorcycle.

Court records also show that Martinez-Sanchez attempted to brake but was unable to avoid a second collision with Deane.

ICE took Sanchez-Martinez into custody during the court hearing.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill responded to the news in a social media post on Tuesday.

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“Heartbreaking! The man responsible for this horrific accident, 29-year-old Jorge Martinez-Sanchez, is an illegal immigrant,” Murrill wrote. “Our office is prosecuting the case and has obtained a no-bail order. Martinez-Sanchez was arrested for vehicular manslaughter, reckless conduct and driving without a license. My prayers are with Mark Deane's family, friends and colleagues.”

The ABC station in New Orleans, where Dean has long worked as a sports producer, released a statement from Anne Kirkpatrick, the chief of police of the New Orleans Police Department.

“The New Orleans Police Department is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Mark Deane, a respected sports producer at WGNO, who was killed in a traffic accident this morning,” Kirkpatrick said. “Mark was not only a colleague to many in our media community, but a friend whose passion and dedication to his work left a lasting impression on all who were privileged to know him. Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to Mark's family, friends and the entire WGNO team during this difficult time.”

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The station also wrote that Dean's loss is “mourned by the entire WGNO family,” adding that it is a “devastating blow” following the loss of sportscaster Ed Daniels.

The investigation into the crash is still ongoing.