Texas troopers say undocumented Howard Co. murder suspect tried to flee arrest

MARYLAND (WBFF) — New details are emerging about the Texas arrest of an undocumented immigrant accused of killing his girlfriend in Howard County, Maryland.

Texas authorities tell FOX45 that 24-year-old Darwin Carcamo-Santiago attempted to flee law enforcement before being taken into custody. The arrest is now fueling renewed criticism from federal immigration officials over Maryland’s recently enacted immigration policies.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, authorities in Howard County issued a “be on the lookout” alert for a Honda Civic believed to be driven by a homicide suspect. A Texas state trooper located the vehicle Monday in Waco, Texas.

Officials say Carcamo-Santiago refused to stop, leading troopers on a short pursuit before law enforcement forced the vehicle to spin out, ending the chase.

ALSO READ | Illegal immigrant arrested in Texas after police say he killed his girlfriend in Maryland

Carcamo-Santiago remains in custody in Texas. In addition to the first- and second-degree murder charges he faces in Howard County, he is now charged in Texas with felony evading arrest. Federal immigration authorities have also lodged an ICE detainer against him.

Federal officials have confirmed Carcamo-Santiago is an undocumented immigrant from Honduras.

Following the arrest, the Department of Homeland Security used the case to criticize Maryland’s recently enacted immigration laws.

In a social media post, DHS wrote:

States like Maryland must end their reckless sanctuary policies and work with us to keep criminals like this monster off our streets.

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The case has also drawn criticism from Republican lawmakers and local law enforcement officials.

“Maryland sanctuary policies make it a beacon, make it a haven for criminal illegal immigrants because they know that Maryland law enforcement have their hands tied in cooperating with ICE,” said Delegate Kathy Szeliga.

Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler also weighed in, saying, “If you want to do this stuff, if you want to be in the country illegally and murder people, Maryland is the place to do it thanks to our legislature.”

The controversy centers on Maryland’s recently enacted Community Trust Act, which limits when local law enforcement can cooperate with federal immigration authorities and generally bars local jails from honoring ICE detainer requests. Three weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the state of Maryland, arguing the new law unlawfully interferes with federal immigration enforcement. Several Maryland sheriffs have also filed legal challenges against the law.

Meanwhile, Howard County Police told FOX45 that a timeline for Carcamo-Santiago’s extradition from Texas back to Maryland has not yet been determined.