DUI Suspect May Be in Country Illegally

A 22-year-old man who was the subject of a traffic stop in Lower Saucon Township may be in the United States illegally and is facing a detainer by the Department of Homeland Security, court records say.

Tobias Estrada-Montano told township Officer John Bowlby he is not a legal resident of the United States, according to a criminal complaint, which lists the suspect’s address as 43 N. Ninth St., Allentown.

Estrada-Montano identified himself with a Mexican identification card when stopped on Route 378 around 10:35 Sunday morning, Bowlby wrote in the complaint.

He is facing charges of driving under the influence, driving at more than 63 mph in a 40mph zone, driving without a valid license and having open containers of Modelo Especial beer in his car.

Bowlby said Estrada-Montano, whose birthplace is listed as Mexico City, may be a flight risk due to his lack of citizenship and because he has no family in the area.

Attached to the complaint is an immigration detainer for Estrada-Montano dated Sunday from the Department of Homeland Security. It would allow the department to take the suspect into custody.

Bowlby said Estrada-Montano was driving a purple 1994 Honda Civic CRX when he stopped him in the area of 3560 Route 378. The officer, who spotted the open beer containers on the rear passenger seat, said the suspect smelled of alcohol.

Estrada-Montano reportedly failed field sobriety tests, and a preliminary blood test registered a blood-alcohol content of 0.13 percent, which is higher than the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

He was arraigned later Sunday by District Judge Joseph Barner of Lower Nazareth Township and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $1,000 bail.