A man charged in connection with the death of a 15‑year‑old girl in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been taken into federal custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency said.
Julio Cesar Xocop-Vicente, a Guatemalan national, allegedly ran a stop sign in a residential neighborhood and struck Amber Paris, who was hospitalized and placed in a medically induced coma on November 24, 2025, according to law enforcement. She passed away on December 18.
Why It Matters
The arrest reflects a pattern of increased enforcement by federal agents as the Trump administration has pushed forward with efforts targeting both migrants without legal status and individuals with prior criminal convictions. The operation that led to Xocop-Vicente’s arrest, Operation Charlotte’s Web, launched in late 2025 and has resulted in more than 1,300 arrests across North Carolina, according to ICE.
What To Know
According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), officers responded at approximately 5:44 p.m. to a hit-and-run in the 3500 block of Driftwood Drive in Charlotte’s Eastway Division. Investigators said a 2011 Dodge Caliber traveling north struck a bicycle at the intersection of Driftwood Drive and Winterfield Place, ejecting the rider, and the driver fled the scene on foot.
Police identified Xocop-Vicente as the driver and arrested him on November 25, 2025. He was charged with felony hit and run, reckless driving, and driving without an operator’s license, police said…