ICE deports immigrant awaiting prosecution in fatal Minneapolis crash

An undocumented immigrant charged with killing a woman while driving drunk in Minneapolis last year has been deported to his native country before his fate could be determined in a Minnesota courtroom.

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed German Llangari Inga, an illegally present Ecuadorean national, to Ecuador on June 24 ... pursuant to a final order of removal issued by a federal immigration judge,” an ICE spokesperson said Tuesday.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said in a statement Wednesday to the Minnesota Star Tribune that the deportation of Llangari Inga, 35, means he “will not face any consequences for the death” of 31-year-old Victoria Eileen Harwell of Minneapolis, despite being charged for the Aug. 3, 2024, head-on fatal collision.

“The federal government’s dangerous, mindless commitment to deporting people who should be held accountable in the communities they harmed is devastating to victims and their loved ones,” County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement.

Harwell’s father said he was disappointed. “It doesn’t surprise me, with the climate of our country and what’s going on out there,” Victor Harwell added. He said he got notice from the County Attorney’s Office.

His top priority now, Harwell said, is looking after five of his daughter’s eight children. The remaining siblings are in the care of other relatives.

“I have to keep moving with these kids,” said the 67-year-old grandfather. “It really hurts me, in a way, that one day I will have to explain this to these kids.”

At the time of the crash, Llangari Inga, who was living in Minneapolis, was the subject of a 2016 ICE order for expedited removal from the United States. An agency spokesperson said the Sheriff’s Office failed to honor the detainer and released Llangari Inga on Aug. 6, 2024, without alerting ICE.

Llangari was charged May 2 with criminal vehicular homicide, jailed May 10 — while the ICE removal order was still in effect — and released May 13 after posting bond.

ICE agents arrested him May 16. He remained in federal custody in the Freeborn County jail until last week’s deportation.

The White House cited the case against Llangari Inga to criticize some Twin Cities elected Democrats for their policies on undocumented immigrants who commit crimes.

Soon after federal agents took Llangari Inga into custody, Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the arrest occurred “despite Hennepin County refusing to honor this criminal illegal alien’s detainer twice. ... Remember, sanctuary politicians are fighting for criminal illegal aliens.”

At a hearing in May, Hennepin County Judge Amber Brennan asked local prosecutors why it took so long to charge Inga. Senior Assistant County Attorney Judith Cole responded that her office got the case from Minneapolis police in December and received additional evidence in February.

Llangari Inga’s deportation has led to a warrant being issued for his arrest, despite the long odds of him ever returning to a Hennepin County courtroom.

The County Attorney’s Office was poised to seek an especially stiff sentence for Llangari Inga should he have been convicted. The office cited two aggravating factors in favor of exceeding state sentencing guidelines: His “conduct caused a greater-than-normal danger to the safety of other people” ... and the crash occurred with a child present — one of Harwell’s children.

State guidelines in Llangari Inga’s case called for a term ranging from about 3½ to 4¾ years with four years being the presumptive sentence, said County Attorney’s Office spokesman Dan Borgertpoepping.

According to the charges:

Surveillance video showed Llangari Inga driving an SUV east on Lowry Avenue near James Avenue N., crossing the double yellow centerline and hitting Harwell’s SUV head-on. A witness told police that Llangari Inga appeared to have been speeding before the collision.

Emergency medical responders took Harwell to a hospital, where she died. Two people riding with Harwell — her sister and a teenage daughter — suffered less serious injuries.

While responding to the crash, police learned of another collision about seven blocks away, at 34th and Penn avenues N. Surveillance video there revealed that Llangari Inga had hit another driver from behind, causing slight injuries.

Police arrested Llangari Inga that evening, and a preliminary breath test measured his blood alcohol content (BAC) at 0.171%, more than twice the legal limit in Minnesota. A test of his blood taken by police about 2½ hours later found his BAC was 0.141%.

At the time of the collisions, Llangari Inga was driving without a valid license or insurance.