Illegal immigrant charged with murder in California fire had prior arrests, was never deported

Sanchez was in some kind of fight with the others and lit the fire with the intent to kill, Los Angeles Police Capt. Billy Hayes said.

The suspect charged with murder in connection with a vacant building fire in Los Angeles was in the United States illegally and had a string of arrests to his name — but the feds never deported him, officials said Friday.

Johnny Sanchez, a 21-year-old citizen of Honduras, was initially arrested in 2012 for crossing the southeastern California border illegally, the Los Angeles Times reported. Authorities said they released him because he had no criminal history or previous immigration violations at the time.

He was arrested again in January on suspicion of domestic violence and twice in the ensuing months on suspicion of drug possession, officials said.

After he crossed the border, authorities reportedly placed him under supervision and ordered Sanchez to report to them regularly — but he stopped doing so in 2014, the Times adds.

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