SARASOTA, Fla. – The Sarasota County sheriff announced Wednesday the driver suspected of hitting a motorcyclist with his car entered the country illegally.
Sheriff Tom Knight said Magidiel Medrano-Bonilla illegally traveled to the U.S. from Mexico through Texas on March 1, 2014.
Medrano-Bonilla was born in El Salvador, according to Knight. The 30-year-old man was unable to provide sheriff’s deputies any form of identification, Knight said.
“I think it’s fair to say that this victim is fortunate to be alive today,” said Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight.
Knight said stickers on the car, the license plate, the former car's owner and text messages helped lead detectives to finding Medrano-Bonilla.
Medrano-Bonilla worked as a landscaper at a company called Labor Ready, according to Knight.
Knight said he did not know why Medrano-Bonilla was in Sarasota.
“He did not have a history or gang affiliation that we know of,” Knight said.
The victim, Darin Hendrickson, is recovering from a fractured rib with staples in his knee.
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