EXCLUSIVE TO FOX: A tragic hit-and-run incident in North Carolina has led to the arrest of an undocumented immigrant accused of killing a 62-year-old man, as revealed by Fox News Digital.

The Pitt County Sheriff’s Office reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a detainer on 25-year-old Ernesto Lopez-Gomez.

A representative from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has verified that Lopez, originally from Mexico, unlawfully entered the United States, though the exact date remains unknown.

Lopez faces charges of felony hit-and-run resulting in death and is currently detained on a $2,000,000 secured bond pending further legal proceedings.

In a direct statement to Fox News Digital, Lauren Bis, acting Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, expressed that the suspect “should never have been in our country and able to kill Christopher Babcock.”

In an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, Department of Homeland Security acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said the suspect “should have NEVER been in our country and able to kill Christopher Babcock.”

“The Biden administration’s catch-and-release policies let this criminal into our community, and now a widow is mourning the loss of her husband,” Bis said. “This is the second hit-in-run by an illegal alien just this week. These preventable tragedies are the result of the previous administration’s open border policies.”

According to the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, on March 11, around 7:45 p.m., Christopher Babcock, 62, was riding a motorcycle toward Greenville, North Carolina, when a vehicle turned left in front of him, causing a collision.

The driver, later identified as Lopez-Gomez, allegedly fled after the crash. Babcock later died from his injuries.

Christopher Babcock, 62, died after a vehicle driven by Ernesto Lopez-Gomez allegedly turned left in front of his motorcycle March 11. (GoFundMe)

The collision occurred on U.S. Route 13 at U.S. Route 264 Alternate near Moye Turnage Road, southeast of Farmville, according to police.

Christopher Babcock, 62, was riding his motorcycle near Greenville, N.C., when a vehicle turned left in front of him, police say. (GoFundMe)

In his obituary, Babcock was remembered for living a life “defined by kindness, humor, and generosity.”

“He never hesitated to help someone in need and had a contagious laugh that could brighten any room,” the obituary said. “Chris had a sarcastic sense of humor and a warm heart, and he deeply loved his family and his dogs.”

Babcock leaves behind his wife, two stepchildren and a sister, according to his obituary.

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