This story was somewhat of a surprise, coming out of illegal-alien-friendly Maryland, but Howard County Circuit Court Judge Lenore Gelfman rejected an insanely light plea agreement that called for a sentence of no more than eight years in prison for an illegal alien accused of killing a Marine and his date in a drunken-driving accident on Thanksgiving night in 2006. Illegal alien trespasser Eduardo Raul Morales-Soriano's blood-alcohol level was four times the legal limit on the night of the crash, authorities said.
Under the agreement, Morales-Soriano pleaded guilty to two counts of negligent manslaughter in the deaths of Jennifer Bower, 24, of Montgomery Village and her passenger, Cpl. Brian Mathews, 21, of Columbia, who had served eight months in Iraq.
Gelfman's ruling came after about an hour of emotional testimony from the victims' relatives, including Mathews's mother, who said her son returned home from one of the most dangerous parts of the world only to be killed on the roads of his own country.
"This is truly an American tragedy," Trudy Mathews said of the death of her son, an Eagle Scout who had followed a family tradition of military service.
Interim Howard County State's Attorney Dario J. Broccolino said later that he believed the judge thought the maximum sentence allowed under the agreement was "too little." If convicted at trial, Morales-Soriano could be sentenced to more than 20 years in prison.
On Nov. 23, 2006, Morales-Soriano, a Mexican national who had been living in Laurel, was driving a Nissan Sentra when he struck the rear of a Toyota Corolla at a red light at routes 108 and 175, fatally injuring Bower and Mathews, authorities said.
Morales-Soriano, who had a valid Maryland driver's license, had been charged in once before with drunken driving in February 2006, but the case was dropped. And because Maryland places so much value on it's illegal alien community, Morales-Soriano was not turned over to ICE for deportation as he should have been but was instead released to drink and drive some more and ultimately to kill two Americans.
Heather Hoppe, Mathews's sister, applauded the judge's decision to reject the plea agreement. "I got the impression she wanted more of a sentence, and I think that's a good decision," said Hoppe, 30. "This needs to be publicized and consequences need to be shown."
During the hearing, no relative of the victims objected to the plea agreement in open court. Jennifer Bower's father, David Bower, read a statement that described his daughter as "a wonderful gift to the community."
"She was embracing her life," he said, as his wife stood behind him clutching a single flower.
He spoke about her death's effect on the family, saying, "I still jump when the phone rings," hoping that "she will call."
Trudy Mathews testified about how her son had planned to become a teacher after giving his country "the promise of his own life."
"Every day, we prayed for his safe return home," she said of his time in Iraq. "Our prayers were answered."
Morales-Soriano wore headphones to listen as an interpreter translated the proceedings into Spanish. In a statement that he made, Morales-Soriano said he did "not intend to kill anyone," and he acknowledged "that I caused this tragedy."
"I wish it was me that died in that accident," he said.
Yeah, I wish that too. The two people that he killed were worth far more than Morales-Soriano and every other illegal alien trespasser in this country. How many more Americans will have to die just so that people who even don't respect our country enough to apply for lawful admission or obey our laws can remain here illegally to reap it's benefits?
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