A criminal illegal alien from Guatemala involved in a fatal hit-and-run in Charlotte, N.C., is off the streets for good and headed out of the country.
A 15-year-old girl died after the unlicensed driver crashed into her e-bike. Amber Caralexa Paris “paid for … sanctuary policies with her life,” according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
After the city of Charlotte failed her, ICE stepped in, arresting driver Julio Cesar Xocop-Vicente, 40. Xocop-Vicente was reportedly speeding and driving without a license when he struck Paris. Xocop-Vicente struck her e-bike at a Charlotte intersection, then fled the scene on foot.
Paris spent nearly a month in the hospital following the Nov. 24, 2025, crash, but died a few days before Christmas.
Xocop-Vicente also had previous convictions for driving under the influence and driving without a license and an arrest for domestic violence, but Charlotte officials continued to let him go.
“Under Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyels’s sanctuary policies, this killer was let out on bond by local courts after committing this horrific crime,” ICE said in a news release.
Xocop-Vicente was arrested by local law enforcement on Nov. 25 and charged with felony hit-and-run, driving without a license and reckless driving.
ICE officials blamed “the soft-on-crime and pro-illegal criminal illegal alien policies” of Mayor Vi Lyles and other politicians who allowed him to walk free on bond before ICE could file an immigration detainer.
Local authorities then dismissed his driving without a license charge on Dec. 2, 2025, while Paris was still fighting for her life. He was released on Dec. 3 on a $10,000 bond, FOX 8 News reported.
Although it’s getting less media attention, Operation Charlotte’s Web continues in the sanctuary city that releases criminals and repeat offenders back into the community.
ICE Director Todd M. Lyons said sanctuary policies have real consequences, and this is one of them.
“My heart is with Amber’s family—and although nothing can ease the pain of losing a child, ICE will continue arresting and removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens from North Carolina and across the country,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking, but this tragedy was preventable.”
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department issued a news release on Dec. 20 following her death.
According to the accident report, officers responded to a hit-and-run with personal injury call at 5:44 p.m. Nov. 24, 2025.
Upon arrival, officers located a damaged 2011 Dodge Caliber and a damaged electric bicycle and Paris, who was injured and transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Xocop-Vicente was reportedly speeding through a residential neighborhood in Charlotte as they both approached a stop sign. The vehicle’s front center struck Paris, ejecting her from the bike, according to local reports.
WCNC Charlotte reported that video footage provided by a resident showed Xocop-Vicente’s vehicle approaching the intersection at high speed just before the crash, according to an arrest affidavit.
The unidentified driver, later determined to be Xocop-Vicente, fled the scene on foot. Officers found the abandoned Dodge with heavy front center and windshield damage at the scene, the affidavit states.
Inside the vehicle, police located a vehicle title and lease agreement bearing Xocop-Vicente’s name and address. According to the affidavit, Xocop-Vicente was known to officers from a 2022 domestic violence case at the same location.
Officers attempted to locate Xocop-Vicent on Nov. 25 and found blood on the living room mattress and sofa in his apartment, leading to his arrest.
After waiving his rights, Xocop-Vicente admitted to driving the vehicle at the time of the crash and colliding with Paris, according to the affidavit. He told police he was afraid due to his immigration status and admitted to running away from the scene, WCNC Charlotte reported.
Paris suffered two broken legs, a severed artery, causing internal bleeding and serious injuries to various organs, the affidavit states. She was placed in a medically induced coma to assist with treating the injuries, but she passed away on Dec. 19, WCNC Charlotte reported.
Despite the city’s refusal to cooperate with federal law enforcement, ICE Fugitive Operations arrested Xocop-Vicente on Jan. 12, during a targeted enforcement operation. He is currently in ICE custody and is pending removal proceedings.
ICE noted this is the second time that local authorities allowed him to walk free and avoid deportation after an arrest.
He was convicted in 2023 for driving under the influence and driving without a license and had a criminal record that includes a previous arrest for assault on a female, ICE said.
“Even though this criminal illegal alien had this arrest and a criminal conviction, the sanctuary policies of Charlotte, North Carolina, under Mayor Lyles allowed this criminal illegal alien to remain in the United States and threaten American citizens,” ICE said in a news release.
Nearly 1,400 ICE detainers across North Carolina have not been honored—allowing criminal illegal aliens to be released into North Carolina’s neighborhoods.
Lyons added: “ICE isn’t waiting for another tragedy to take action; we are out on the streets every day to arrest and remove public safety threats so this doesn’t happen to another child.”
DHS launched Operation Charlotte’s Web on Nov. 15 to find and arrest criminal illegal aliens hiding under the city’s sanctuary policies.
DHS law enforcement has arrested more than 1,300 illegal aliens since the operation began.
