Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says a neighborhood party ended with a 21-year-old man dead and six illegal immigrants going to jail early Sunday morning.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, deputies went to the Willow Oak Mobile Home Park after someone called 911 to report a 21-year-old man dead inside the home.
Investigators said the victim’s injuries appeared to be consistent with someone who was run over by a vehicle and dragged inside the home to die.
Deputies called traffic homicide detectives to investigate.
During their investigation, detectives stated that they learned a large party had taken place outside one of the trailers in the mobile home park on Saturday evening.
A witness told detectives that the victim was lying down on the driveway.
The witness said they saw 52-year-old Ponciano Cinto-Ramirez get into a van that was parked on the driveway, put it into reverse, and back over the victim, before leaving the scene.
According to the witness, people at the party yelled at Cinto-Ramirez that he had run over the man, but Cinto-Ramirez continued to drive away, then parked outside lot #32 and went inside.
When deputies went to lot #32 they said there were several people inside, all of whom refused to come out. Eventually, they went outside, but according to PCSO, refused to give deputies information or cooperate.
Once deputies had everyone in custody and interviewed, they learned all six of the suspects are in the country illegally from Guatemala, and they were arrested.
Ponciano Cinto-Ramirez was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death, driving without a license, causing death, and resisting arrest.
Alfredo Cinto-Ramirez and Leonel Cinto Lopez were charged with resisting arrest and giving a false report to law enforcement officers.
Rigoberto Lopez Morales and Jacinto Lopez Morales were charged with resisting arrest.
Ramiro Cinto Lopez was charged with resisting arrest, giving a false report to law enforcement officers and possession of an altered firearm.
“All of these suspects are facing serious felonies, and ICE has placed holds on them as well to hopefully deport them back to Guatemala,” stated Sheriff Grady Judd. “What started out as a neighborhood party ended up with a 21-year-old man dead and a group of illegal aliens going to jail.”