In March of this year 17 year old Emilio Perez ran out of gas on Interstate 88 near Joslin, Illinois.  As he was walking to the exit ramp Emilio was struck and killed by a hit and run driver.

On Thursday 41 year old Maria E. Romero of Rockford was arraigned in Rock Island county on felony charges related to the death of Emilio Perez.

This afternoon the Rock Island states attorney’s office confirmed to USofArn.com that Maria Romero is an illegal immigrant and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer order against her meaning that she cannot bond out of the Rock Island county jail where she had been held on a $250,000 bond.

The Rock Island states attorney’s office added that Ms. Romero’s case is complicated due to the fact that she has an Illinois drivers license issued in May of 2013.  However, a new Illinois law that allows illegal immigrants to obtain Illinois drivers licenses didn’t take effect until November of 2013.

It is unclear at this time how long Maria Romero has illegally been in the country.

Romero was arrested in Rockford at her place of employment(which the RI states attorney will get back to me with information on) following a tip to the Quad Cities crimes stoppers last Friday.

For six months Emilio Perez’s father Al Perez plastered the Quad Cities area with fliers and billboards seeking any information about the person or vehicle that killed his honors student son.  Mr. Perez also personally footed nearly all of a $10,000 reward seeking the information that lead to Ms. Romero’s arrest.

If convicted Maria Romero faces up to 18 years in prison for killing Emilio.