JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — The truck driver convicted in a fatal crash on Highway 285 was taken into ICE custody Sunday immediately after his release from the Jefferson County jail. The victim’s widow made sure immigration officers were ready to detain him.  

Ignacio Cruz-Mendoza, who had served approximately seven months of a one-year sentence for misdemeanor traffic violations, was detained by ICE agents waiting in the jail. According to immigration authorities, Cruz-Mendoza had previously been removed from the country or voluntarily returned to Mexico 16 times.

“I don’t think he deserves to be in this country and kill somebody else,” said DeAnn Miller, whose husband Scott was killed in the crash. 

Miller confirmed she personally contacted ICE on Friday to ensure they would be present for Cruz-Mendoza’s release.

“I didn’t feel that he belonged in this country anymore seeing that he broke our laws and had no remorse for it,” Miller said. “They promised me that they would do it, and they would let me know once it was done. And they did. I got a text from them on Sunday.”

Cruz-Mendoza pleaded guilty to misdemeanor traffic violations last July before prosecutors could file more serious charges. Authorities determined he did not possess a valid commercial driver’s license and was in the country without proper documentation.

Miller expressed mixed emotions about her decision to contact immigration authorities.

“It was a lot of mixed emotions after I got that text,” Miller said. “I felt guilty because I had altered somebody’s life. It sounds strange but I felt sorry for him. I know I did the right thing, but it’s still hard. I can’t explain it.”

While Miller took action to ensure ICE’s presence, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office stated their policy is to notify immigration authorities when inmates with detainer requests are released. The department allows six hours to release inmates once deemed releasable and notifies ICE of the pending release within that window.

Miller and her husband had been together for 46 years after meeting when she was 17.

“He was my best friend,” she said. “He was my soulmate. And now, my life is over.”

Miller, who now advocates for safer trucking regulations, criticized both the legal outcome of her husband’s case and what she perceives as systemic problems.

“My husband was killed by a system that prioritizes big business over safety,” Miller said. “I feel like I got some sort of justice now because I don’t feel like the DA got me justice.”

ICE officials confirmed Cruz-Mendoza was transferred to their detention facility in Aurora, where he will remain pending removal from the United States.

“I applaud ICE for doing their job and taking him out of this country. He doesn’t belong here,” Miller added. “I don’t have anything against someone wanting to make a better life for themselves, but they have to do it the right way. He made a lot of mistakes.”