It's a crime that politics has entered equation

REP. BROWN-WAITE CALLS FOR FEDERAL INVESTIGATION OF EVENTS SURROUNDING THE RECENT HORRIFIC ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME SPREE, blared the news release out of congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite's office.

That's quite the tabloid headline, when you can pair the dreaded politically charged "illegal immigrant" with "crime spree."

Three people, one of them a 13-year-old, are charged with kidnapping two women in Apollo Beach and raping them. They are suspected or charged in other violent crimes as well.

But even before that arrest, one of them, an unemployed welder named Rigoberto Moron Martinez, was a suspect in a St. Petersburg rape and robbery at a restaurant where he had worked.

Police had tailed Martinez and had him picked up on an unrelated misdemeanor warrant in Hillsborough County, where they got his DNA. Martinez quickly bonded out of jail. Less than two weeks later, detectives say, he took part in the attack in Apollo Beach.

Which, beyond the posturing, politics and pointing of fingers to follow, leaves serious and legitimate questions.

After last week's arrests came a tangle of who did and didn't do what. Local authorities say they notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement about Martinez, whose ex-girlfriend said in a Times interview that he walked across the border from Mexico 11 years ago.

It was unlikely, though, that ICE would detain him when he faced only a misdemeanor.

St. Petersburg police say they told Hillsborough detectives he was a rape suspect. Hillsborough officials said they knew only that he was a suspect in a criminal case.

As for the Republican and, by the way, up-for-re-election representative from Brooksville, she was full of fiery accusation, evidenced by her 10-point questionnaire to the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office on handling immigrants. All that was missing was video footage of the sheriff himself holding open a cell door to send crazed foreigners spilling out onto our streets.

Sheriff David Gee, whose office has taken its licks of late (notably in the case of an inmate dumped from a wheelchair by a jail deputy) rightly fired back. "I'm always annoyed when somebody in Congress wakes up and realizes a problem we have realized over the last 10 years," the sheriff said.

He called it a cheap shot that does nothing to resolve the real issues they see at the jail every day. Such as: 10 percent of the jail's inmates are potentially illegal immigrants, with no local federal facilities to hold them. Of 12,000 names they sent to ICE in the past year, only 500 to 600 inmates were detained.

Nobody, nobody wants a suspect in a brutal crime to get the chance to do it again. Serious questions about communication and protocol are in order.

The sister of one of the women in the Apollo Beach case told the Times' Richard Danielson that the confrontation between the congresswoman and the sheriff was a potential distraction from justice. "This guy needs to be put on trial, and he needs to have a fair trial, even though he's not a citizen," she said. "… Let's give him a trial and let's punish him to the full extent of the law, and let's put him away."

Comments on this article

by Doc	Aug 31, 2008 9:08 AM
I don't really know what to do about "illegals". I DO know that if we want illegal immigration to stop, all we need to do is HEAVILY fine any business that hires one. No stupid fence or more jails, etc. Who's against it? Republicans, of course.

by PP	Aug 28, 2008 3:56 PM
It's a crime that politicians don't do anything about the problem but rather go on VACATION. It's a crime that the Hillsborough Sheriff "misspoke" that he didn't know about the criminal. It's a crime liberals whine when if Obama said this it would ok

by Courtney	Aug 28, 2008 3:56 PM
I wonder if the crime of rape was taken serously the first time around, he was suspected of rape, then maybe he would have been held. Violence against women needs to be taken serously by law enforcement. Thank you Rep. Brown-Waite! The victim counts!

by joetampa	Aug 27, 2008 1:42 PM
Why is there no discussion of securing our borders in any of the hoopla- driven convention speeches?

by HCB	Aug 27, 2008 1:03 PM
Where has Brown been for 10 years if she is so concerned? Why can't she do the work of a legislator without a giddy headline? Why does she write to the sheriff rather than the appropriate committee of congress? Why is she in congress?

by Chuck	Aug 27, 2008 1:03 PM
Whites and blacks (on average) a FAR too entitled to work a job like line cook or hotel maid in this country. Our sense of entitlement has bred this open market for illegals. NO ONE will replace them, businesses will close.

by Rick	Aug 27, 2008 1:03 PM
Ms. Carlton, I'll bet the victims and their loved ones would like to see politicians move to end this illegal free for all so that these "unaccountables" don't destroy another legitimate citizen's life. At some point, citizenship has to have meaning.

by Rick	Aug 27, 2008 1:03 PM
No, It's a crime when the ultra-liberal slanted news media weighs in.

by Ronnie	Aug 27, 2008 1:03 PM
Congress, the Senate and the President are all to blame. You want to solve the ILLEGAL immigrant problem? Give authority to local law enforcement. They know who and where they are. But, you better have the buses ready, because they will be full.

by Tom	Aug 27, 2008 12:58 PM
Of course you think it is "politics" to talk about criminals(illegal aliens). It is not pandering to hightlight crime committe by illegals. It is an issue that needs to be taken care of and amnesty is not the answer.

by Charlie	Aug 27, 2008 11:26 AM
We should put them to work building a Jail in the swamps of south florida where they could be incarcerated and die...Then feed them to the gators. Criminals are criminals and need to be disposed off. I am personally tired of paying for them.

by Rich	Aug 27, 2008 9:12 AM
If Obama called for an investigation you'd be telling us how great it is to finally have a politician who cares about us. You can't have it both ways Sue.

by Jeff	Aug 27, 2008 9:12 AM
Since the federal government continues to drag its feet on illegal immigration, the problem will only persist and probably get worse.

by tim	Aug 27, 2008 9:12 AM
A cheap shot to be sure, but the Democrats have held the majority in both the House and Senate for two years now and have done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to secure our borders. Is "doing nothing" what we can expect from Barack?

by Olivia	Aug 27, 2008 9:12 AM
Am I missing something here? How does investigating why this guy was still on the streets and therefore able to commit these crimes, distract from justice? Let's figure out what went wrong, who dropped the ball, and fix it! I agree with Ginny here.

by Jane	Aug 27, 2008 9:12 AM
For women who live in South County the horror was compounded by Gee acting as if Rep. Brown-Waite had no right to ask. Her concern is valued. Sue, how about some compassion for women whose lives were torn apart and less political cover for Gee?

by JH	Aug 27, 2008 9:12 AM
The table restaurant should be sued for hiring an illegal. Also where did the author get "10% of inmates are potentially illegal"? Chances are it's much higher. Immigration is already circumventing background checks on new permanent residents.

by Shayna	Aug 27, 2008 9:11 AM
It is NOT politics to demand an end to the billions that taxpayrs spend trying and jailing illegals. Brown-Waite should push fed law to bill country of origin for all costs, incl victim compensation. No pay, no US trade.