Illegal immigrant sentenced in murder of neighbor

John Beauge:

An illegal immigrant has been sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder in the stabbing death of his neighbor in Milton about a year ago.

Northumberland County Judge Robert B. Sacavage also sentenced Fredil Omar Fuentes, 24, to a consecutive term of 31/2 to 7 years yesterday for criminal trespass.

Fuentes pleaded guilty in March to a count of homicide, avoiding a possible death penalty. Sacavage determined the degree of guilt after hearing testimony.

Fuentes was considered a fugitive by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on June 10, 2005, when he stabbed Carly Snyder, 20, with four knives at least 37 times in the kitchen of her home.

At a previous court hearing, Fuentes testified through an interpreter that he was high on crack cocaine and marijuana and did not remember killing Snyder.

District Attorney Anthony J. Rosini used the sentencing to criticize immigrations officials, arguing that the murder would not have occurred had they kept Fuentes in custody.

A federal judge had ordered Fuentes deported after he failed to report for an immigration hearing in Philadelphia on Oct. 11, 2001. According to ICE records, Fuentes entered the country illegally in the Brownsville, Texas, area and was apprehended by the Border Patrol on Feb. 29, 2000.

The native of Honduras was released on $5,000 bail because he did not have a criminal record. The case was transferred to Philadelphia because Fuentes provided a fake Pennsylvania address, an ICE spokesman said.

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