A Mexican national, who had been living unlawfully in the United States for over ten years despite a federal deportation order, was apprehended in Orange County, California, on Friday. The arrest followed a tragic incident where the individual allegedly struck and killed a 71-year-old man in a DUI hit-and-run accident, federal law enforcement sources revealed.
According to a report from The Orange County Register, deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office responded to an emergency call about a pedestrian being hit by a vehicle.
Upon arrival, they discovered Barry William Tutt, a 71-year-old resident of La Verne, in critical condition. Tutt was rushed to a local hospital by emergency medical teams, but he unfortunately succumbed to his injuries.
Eyewitnesses described seeing a silver Ford sedan leaving the scene, and detectives later determined that the driver was Humberto Munoz Gatica, a 57-year-old resident of Laguna Niguel, as reported by The Register.
Humberto Munoz Gatica, who had an active deportation order since 2012, was taken into custody on November 8, 2025. He faces charges related to driving under the influence and other associated offenses. Gatica was booked into the Orange County Jail, and the investigation is still underway.
Gatica was tracked down, arrested on charges of DUI and related offenses, and booked into the Orange County Jail. The investigation into the matter is ongoing.
Federal law-enforcement sources told Fox News that Gatica was first arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2011 for being in the country illegally.
Humberto Munoz Gatica, a Mexican illegal alien with an active deportation order since 2012, was arrested on Nov. 8, 2025, in Orange County, California, after allegedly killing a 71-year-old pedestrian in a DUI hit-and-run. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
He was released under the Obama administration with a notice to appear in court but never did, leading a federal immigration judge to order his deportation in absentia in 2012.
Gatica has remained an ICE fugitive since that ruling, officials said, living in California, which designates itself a sanctuary state.
Humberto Munoz Gatica, a Mexican illegal alien with an active deportation order since 2012, was arrested on Nov. 8, 2025, in Orange County, California, after allegedly killing a 71-year-old pedestrian in a DUI hit-and-run. (iStock)
Authorities said he was driving under the influence in Dana Point on Friday when he allegedly struck Tutt and fled.
Jail records show Gatica faces charges of DUI causing death or bodily injury and hit-and-run causing death or bodily injury.
Federal officials also told Fox News that Gatica was arrested in 2011 on a robbery charge in Orange County but later pleaded to grand theft as part of a plea deal.
