ICE Seeks Detention of Salvadoran National Accused in Triple-Fatal North Carolina Hit-and-Run

Federal immigration authorities have requested that North Carolina officials maintain custody of Javiel Pena Sola, a Salvadoran national facing charges in connection with a fatal vehicle collision that claimed three lives on July 18 in Salisbury. The incident resulted in the deaths of two individuals at the scene and a third victim who died following transport to a medical facility.

Pena Sola allegedly struck a vehicle and fled the crash site before being apprehended with assistance from a K-9 unit. His own vehicle was subsequently recovered in a creek near the accident location. He currently faces three counts of hit-and-run involving serious injury or death.

A witness at the scene, Quindel Woods, recounted the chaos of the moment to WSOC-TV, describing hearing screams and observing first responders extracting the suspect from the wreckage. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has filed a detainer requesting his continued detention pending immigration proceedings.

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis disclosed that Pena Sola was previously arrested in 2016 but subsequently released, and that he entered the United States through Arizona in April 2022. Bis attributed the deaths to preventable circumstances, citing what she characterized as consequences of open border and sanctuary policies.

Court records indicate Pena Sola’s prior criminal history includes convictions for reckless endangerment and operating a vehicle without proper licensure in Maryland dating to July 2015, as well as an arrest for escape from custody. Following his 2016 Maryland arrest, Baltimore law enforcement honored an ICE detainer and transferred him to federal agents, but he was released two months later under the Obama administration.