Illegal immigrant accused of driving into diners faces charges

ST. LOUIS -- A man who accidentally drove his sport utility vehicle into an outdoor dining area of a suburban St. Louis restaurant -- leaving three diners injured -- now faces federal charges for being in the country illegally.

In fact, authorities said Friday that Sergio Lopez-Luna, 23, has twice previously been deported to Mexico.

Federal prosecutor Catherine Hanaway said Lopez-Luna was indicted late Thursday. He is accused of using a false Social Security number and falsely representing himself as a U.S. citizen to get a job at a restaurant. The indictment said Lopez-Luna has been back in the U.S. since at least 2004.

If convicted, Hanaway said Lopez-Luna could face up to five years on each charge, though sentencing standards call for considerably less jail time. After serving his sentence, he'll almost certainly be deported for a third time, Hanaway said.

Lopez-Luna was being detained and was unavailable for comment. He did not yet have an attorney.

In September, Lopez-Luna was driving a Ford Expedition in Clayton when he lost control, crossed a sidewalk and drove into a sunken outdoor dining area at Il Vicino restaurant. Two of the injured diners were treated at a hospital and released. One, 54-year-old Kathryn Travaglini, was hospitalized. Lopez-Luna has not been charged with a crime related to the accident.

Hanaway said her office sees, on average, about one felony indictment per week against suspects who are in the country illegally.

"Unfortunately, it's very common," she said.

That's on top of hundreds of St. Louis-area cases of deportations annually involving illegal immigrants who are not accused of local crimes, said James Ward, who heads the St. Louis office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

In August, Gov. Matt Blunt announced a crackdown on illegal immigrants in Missouri. Hanaway said federal authorities also do their best to locate and remove illegal immigrants. She said her office typically becomes aware of illegal immigrants through traffic stops, workplace enforcement initiatives and reports of suspicious behavior.

Also, Hanaway said her office performs periodic reviews of marriage licenses to seek out those trying to get into the U.S. illegally.