ANTHONY MOORE - 10 yo - / Accused: Mario Alberto Saucedo Minneola FL

FHP: Driver who hit, killed boy with pickup in Lake didn't have license

This is the second Lake County child to be hit by a car at the bus stop


By Arelis R. Hernández, Orlando Sentinel

May 10, 2011

A 10-year-old boy was killed this morning after he was struck by a pickup while trying to cross a south Lake County road on his way to a school bus stop, officials said.

Anthony Moore, a fourth-grader at Minneola Elementary Charter, died at Southlake Hospital shortly after he was struck by the truck driven by Mario Alberto Saucedo, 39, who doesn't have a license, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Saucedo was arrested and booked into the Lake County Jail, where he is being held without bond. The crash is still under investigation and other charges, besides driving without a license, are pending, according to reports.

FHP Sgt. Kim Montes said the crash happened just before 8 a.m. on Lake Minneola Shores Road near Oklahoma Street in Clermont. Anthony was trying to cross Lake Minneola Shores Road when the Saucedo's pickup traveling west and faster than the 40 mph speed limit struck the boy, according to FHP reports based on testimony from two children waiting at the bus stop who saw the accident.

The bus stop is less than two miles from Anthony's school. Workers at Minneola Elementary Charter rushed to the bus stop after they heard about the crash.

The bus had not yet arrived at the time of the crash. No other details were immediately available.

According to the Lake County Sheriff's Office, Saucedo was charged in 2002 for DUI and in 2006 he was charged with violating his probation relating to a DUI conviction.

This is the second Lake County child to be hit by a car while waiting or walking to the school bus. Last week, a Leesburg boy suffered a broken leg after he was struck by a Jeep while crossing the road to board the bus.

Today's crash remains under investigation. Check back later for new details on this developing story.

Name/Tracking Information First/Middle/Last[/size] MARIO ALBERTO SAUCEDO Booking #: 11004230 Case #: FHPD11OFF038277 Inmate ID: 51511

Physical Description Date of Birth: 01/24/1972 Ethnicity: H Eye Color: BRO Hair Color: BLK Height: 507 " Weight: 165lbs

Personal Information Address: 14625 POINTE EAST TRAIL Apartment#: City: CLERMONT State: FL[ Zipcode: 34711 Place of Birth: MM Occupation: CONSTRUCTION US Citizen: MM

Arrest Information Arrest Date/Time: 05/10/2011 10:27:00 AM Arresting Officer: MCMILLAN Agency: LEESBURG F.H.P. Arrest Location: MINNEOLA FL Booked Date/Time: 05/10/2011 11:06:42 AM Booking Officer: C706 Detainer: YES Released Date/Time:

By Koch, William

One 10-year-old Minneola child is dead. And he died about six months ago after an illegal alien allegedly ran over the boy at his bus stop.

This tale isn't so much about illegal immigration, law and order or even the school system -- although each of those may have played a part in this sad saga.

Call it a miscarriage. Call it a system failure. Call it a tragedy. It is all of those. But it's something more. This is about a policy failure -- a loophole of sorts -- that helped create a gap in the safety net that allowed this to happen.

According to Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies for the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, DC, the death of Anthony Moore at the hands of Mario Alberto Saucedo is a perfect example of why changes are needed in the deportation program called Secure Communities. And we agree.

The program -- managed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) -- was designed to identify foreign nationals, mainly illegal aliens, who are involved in crimes.

The problem is that local authorities commonly drop felony charges upon learning that ICE has issued a detainer on a subject they believe is removable.

Moore was struck shortly before 8 a.m. on May 10 at the corner of Lake Minneola Shores Road and Oklahoma Street, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

"Saucedo had at least two prior charges for DUI and a probation violation, but prosecutors had declined to pursue convictions, or charge Saucedo with the criminal offense of unlicensed driving in the prior offenses, enabling him to escape the ICE attention that could have saved the little boy's life if he had been removed promptly when first brought to the attention of police and prosecuting authorities," Vaughan said.

The day after his arrest by the FHP last May, ICE put a detainer on Saucedo because he had been identified as a Mexican national. Although he could have faced felony charges of driving without a license and causing death or serious injury, and driving with an expired license for more than six months, court records show he was given a misdemeanor charge of driving without a license.

Saucedo was convicted of driving without a license on July 14 and released from the Lake County jail one week later.

Craig Moore, Anthony's father, said the family is still upset that Saucedo was not charged with anything other than driving with a suspended license. "Someone dropped the ball."

And a boy is dead, and the driver is being returned to his country.

http://www.dailycommercial.com/PrintPage/112511fridayeditorial

Published: Thursday, June 30, 2011
TAVARES




BRAD BUCK | Staff Writer

bradbuck@dailycommercial.com

No felony charges will be brought against a Clermont driver who struck and killed a 10-year-old Minneola boy at his school bus stop last month.

Prosecutors announced this week they would not file felony charges against Mario Alberto Saucedo, 39, in the crash that killed Anthony Moore, Lake County court records show.

Saucedo could have faced charges of driving without a license and causing death or serious injury, and driving with an expired license for more than six months, court records show.

Instead, Saucedo will face only a misdemeanor charge of driving without a license.

In the accident, Anthony Moore was struck shortly before 8 a.m. May 10 at the corner of Lake Minneola Shores Road and Oklahoma Street, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The Minneola Elementary School student was taken to South Lake Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Neighbors and family members said they have complained about the bus stop because a steep grade behind it forces children to stand fairly close to the road, where speeders don't slow down, even while approaching the busy intersection.

Neighbors said on the day it happened it was an accident waiting to happen and further contended that they've asked the Lake County School District to modify the bus stop.

School District officials said they're reviewing the bus stop.

Saucedo was wearing his seatbelt and was not impaired at the time of the accident, the FHP said.

Lake County sheriff's officials said federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials put a detaining order on Saucedo, a Mexican national. He remains in the Lake County jail on $1 million bond.


http://www.dailycommercial.com/063011nocharge