Christopher Babcock, 62, was struck while riding his motorcycle and died from his injuries. The man charged with fleeing the scene had been released into the United States by the Biden administration just over a year before the collision.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged an immigration detainer against Erasto Lopez-Gomez, 25, a Mexican national charged with felony hit-and-run resulting in death following a March 11 collision in North Carolina that killed 62-year-old Christopher Babcock.
According to local reports, Lopez-Gomez was driving a vehicle that struck Babcock while he was on his motorcycle. Babcock was thrown from the motorcycle. Lopez-Gomez fled the scene. Babcock later died from his injuries.
Christopher Babcock’s wife, Donna, spoke to local news outlets following the tragedy. “I’m broken,” she said. “This person took my life that day as well.”
Local authorities located and arrested Lopez-Gomez on March 25 and charged him with felony hit-and-run resulting in death. ICE lodged a detainer the same day to ensure he is not released from custody into American communities before federal immigration proceedings can take place.
Released Into the Country Just Over a Year Earlier
On March 1, 2024, Border Patrol apprehended Lopez-Gomez near Tucson, Arizona after he illegally crossed the southern border. Rather than being detained, he was released into the United States under Biden administration policies.
“This criminal illegal alien should have never been in our country and able to kill Christopher Babcock,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “The Biden Administration’s catch and release policies let this criminal into our community, and now a widow is mourning the loss of her husband. This is the second hit-and-run by an illegal alien just this week. These preventable tragedies are the result of the previous administration’s open border policies.”
DHS described the case as part of a pattern of preventable crimes committed by individuals who were apprehended at the border and released rather than detained or removed — a policy the Trump administration reversed upon taking office.
Victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens can receive support through the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office at 1-855-488-6423. For information on ICE enforcement operations, visit ice.gov.
