A college soccer star and his girlfriend are the latest victims of a deadly DWI crash involving an illegal immigrant with a prior drunk driving charge.
Juan Alvarado-Aguilar, a 37-year-old Mexican national, is accused of killing a young couple, Fletcher Harris, 20, and Skylar Provenza, 19, in Rowan County, North Carolina. He faces felony charges for death by vehicle and driving while impaired after allegedly driving under the influence and causing a head-on collision.
According to local reports, Alvarado-Aguilar’s license had been revoked, and he was wanted for failure to appear in Cabarrus County for another DWI. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also lodged an arrest detainer and an administrative warrant for Alvarado-Aguilar with the Rowan County Jail following news of the crash.
“Fletcher and Skylar had their whole lives ahead of them. They would still be with us today if not for Juan Alvarado-Aguilar, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, who chose to recklessly drive drunk on our roads,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a statement.
According to the Salisbury Post, responding officers suspected Alvarado-Aguilar was driving while intoxicated when his Chevy Silverado crossed a double yellow center line. He slammed into the couple’s Honda Accord around 11:15 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16.
One of the victims was ejected from the vehicle during the crash. Both were pronounced dead on the scene, and news of the fatal crash has devastated their families and community.
Harris, who was driving, was a student-athlete at Catawba College and played on the men’s soccer team. Head Soccer Coach Alex Morais described him as “a leader, a teammate and a true friend — someone who inspired everyone around him.”
“Our hearts are broken,” Morais said in a post by the college after the accident. “Fletcher was profoundly loved and will be missed by everyone in our program and community.”
In a post shared by a family member, Harris was remembered as “one of the best human beings” they had ever known, while Provenza was described as a “beautiful soul.”
According to the Salisbury Post report, Alvarado-Aguilar was arrested and initially given a $250,000 bond for his charges related to the crash and an additional $1,500 bond for a failure to appear out of Cabarrus County for another DWI, according to jail records.
Authorities later charged him with two counts of felony causing death by a motor vehicle, driving while intoxicated, traveling left of the center line and driving while his license was revoked, the Salisbury Post reported.
During an initial hearing, prosecutors requested Aguilar’s bond be increased from an initial $250,000 to $2 million, citing his criminal history and concerns that he could flee. The judge ordered his bond at more than $5 million.
“I’m very concerned about his appearance in court and the facts of this case,” the judge said before issuing the bond decision, WCNC reported.
Fox News Digital reported Alvarado-Aguilar initially refused medical treatment at the scene but later complained of back pain and was taken to a hospital. His blood was drawn as part of the investigation before being formally charged, prosecutors said.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded, and state troopers noted a strong odor of alcohol. They said it was so strong it overwhelmed other smells, including burnt rubber and oil. Aguilar was stumbling at the scene and fell into a trooper before he was arrested, according to court testimony.
During the hearing, prosecutors revealed Alvarado-Aguilar has two prior failures to appear in court and a previous DWI charge on his record.
Court documents indicate Alvarado-Aguilar was charged with driving while impaired in Cabarrus County on Nov. 5, 2020. The case was dismissed with leave by the district attorney.
Under North Carolina law, that is a procedural move that removes a case from the court docket without terminating it and allows prosecutors to reinstate the charge under limited circumstances.
He entered the United States on a temporary work visa in March 2020 and failed to depart when his visa expired. He has been placed in removal proceedings, according to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security press release.
An ICE detainer means authorities have requested the jail notify ICE prior to releasing him into the community.
“Under President Trump, dangerous foreign criminals with no right to be in the U.S. are being arrested and removed daily,” Noem said. “ICE has lodged an arrest detainer with the Rowan County Jail to ensure this criminal is not allowed back into our communities and is removed from the U.S. once and for all.”
As family and friends planned Harris’ and Provenza’s funerals, state lawmakers also voiced outrage over broader public safety failures and soft-on-crime policies that allow repeat offenders to remain in the country and on the road.
North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Harris told Fox News Digital the case highlights what he described as “the deadly consequences of sanctuary policies and failures to enforce immigration laws.”
“Fletcher Harris and Skylar Provenza—two bright young lives full of promise—were brutally taken in a head-on crash allegedly caused by an illegal alien with a prior DUI who never should have been on our roads,” Harris said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This is the deadly cost of North Carolina’s sanctuary policies and radical Democrat refusal to enforce the law.”
In a video statement, North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall blamed Biden’s failed border policies and weak immigration enforcement for the deaths.
“The lives of Fletcher Harris and Skylar Provenza were senselessly taken by an illegal alien driving while impaired,” Hall said. “He had no business being in our country and two more young lives have been stolen by open border policies.”
As with many victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants, Harris also questioned the lack of media attention and public outcry for justice.
“Where’s the outrage? Where are the protests?” Harris said. “If this were any other tragedy, the streets would be filled—but when criminal aliens kill Americans, the silence from the Left is deafening.”
Jail records show Aguilar is being held at the Rowan County Detention Center with his next court appearance scheduled for March 2, Fox News reported.
