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Man faces deportation after allegedly ramming Menlo Park police vehicle
Valentin Arias Jimenez, 29, arrested Oct. 31 on Madera Avenue

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A man who fled after crashing a stolen car into a Menlo Park police vehicle and hid inside a garage before he was arrested Wednesday, Oct. 31, after a manhunt is being held in county jail as an undocumented immigrant pending deportation, a San Mateo County sheriff's spokeswoman said.

Valentin Arias Jimenez, 29, of East Palo Alto, is in the San Mateo County Jail on hold pending deportation by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, according to sheriff's spokeswoman Deputy Rebecca Rosenblatt.

Jimenez, whose country of origin is Mexico, was arrested by Menlo Park police on Wednesday inside a garage in the 1300 block of Madera Avenue on multiple charges after he drove his car into a police cruiser and ran into a residential area, police said.

Police secured a perimeter around the neighborhood, bordered by Carlton and Hamilton avenues, Ivy Drive and Willow Road and officers from the sheriff's department and Palo Alto Police Department joined in to search for the suspect.

Jimenez rammed the police vehicle at about noon Wednesday after officers spotted his car, determined that it had been reported stolen and tried to pull him over.

Jimenez was arrested for possessing a stolen car, assault with a deadly weapon, felony hit and run, and resisting or obstructing a police officer. He pleaded not guilty in San Mateo County Superior Court on Friday, Nov. 2.

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Comments

Posted by Bring-On-The-ACLU!, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Nov 5, 2012 at 1:59 pm

Pretty soon the ACLU will be on this case. They will confer with their client, and soon he will be a media darling. They will come up with a scenario showing that he "didn't do anything wrong" .. and is, in fact, a victim of the Bush Administration's never-ending "war on people living in the United States illegally" (or is that "without papers?").

Soon, the ACLU will have a $1T lawsuit in the mill, claiming that they will settle if the City drops all charges, gives their client $20M, a key to the City, makes him an "honorary citizen of Menlo Park" and fires all of the police officers involved in his arrest.

Yep .. time to bring on the clowns .. er .. make that the ACLU.


Posted by Hmmm, a resident of East Palo Alto, on Nov 5, 2012 at 2:15 pm

I doubt that the above scenario will happen. There are a number of undocumented criminals who quietly & frequently deported. You generally only hear about them IF the ACLU or similar get involved. If media reports are accurate, there's no reason for the ACLU to get involved. Of course, the reports may not be accurate and/or don't include all relevant details. Anecdotally, my recollection of ACLU involvement here in EPA has been for legal residents having problems w/the police. Maybe you know of local cases that do focus on ACLU helping undocumented criminals - hoping you share info if you do.


Posted by Horselady, a resident of the Community Center neighborhood, on Nov 5, 2012 at 2:17 pm

Well, don't do the crime if you can't do the time!


Posted by musical, a resident of the Palo Verde neighborhood, on Nov 5, 2012 at 6:20 pm

Well, I guess deportation is the least costly option here. How long is he required to stay deported?


Posted by Hmmm, a resident of East Palo Alto, on Nov 5, 2012 at 7:46 pm

musical - if one is here illegally, I think they're not ever allowed to come back - but that doesn't stop some criminals. If he wants to ever legally emigrate somewhere, it depends on the country to wants to move to.


Posted by musical, a resident of the Palo Verde neighborhood, on Nov 5, 2012 at 10:29 pm

I'm guilty of begging the question how Mr Jimenez got here in the first place, and what's to keep him from immediately repeating the exercise. I doubt that he just overstayed his visa, but what do I know?


Posted by Hmmm, a resident of East Palo Alto, on Nov 5, 2012 at 10:36 pm

musical - the article states that he is here illegally, as in undocumented. Usually, when a visa lapses, that gets mentioned - that's not undocumented.

I don't know what would stop him for sneaking back in - maybe nothing & we'll have to deal w/him again. Frankly, I'm concerned more w/the criminals - undocumented & not - who commit much more serious crimes. The loser's clearly a tool - & he could've really hurt someone.


Posted by Bob , a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Nov 6, 2012 at 8:06 pm

If he's deported, I'll bet he'll be back here within a year. However, he should be turned over to the Mexican prison system. Doubt then he'll be going anywhere. And also, illegals in our $$$ prison system should be turned over the the authorities in their own country, and let that country provide elite medical services, recreation, education, and good living conditions as specified by the court for our prisons. The cost of housing all the illegals in California is wrecking the California and county budgets.


Posted by Maria, a resident of Menlo Park, on Nov 13, 2012 at 3:48 pm

[Post removed due to disrespectful comment or offensive language]


Posted by iSez, a member of the Palo Alto High School community, on Nov 14, 2012 at 8:42 am
iSez is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online

[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]


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