Who is California cop Ronil Singh's killer? Illegal immigrant to evade death penalty as witnesses face deportation
California police officer, Ronil Singh, was working overtime on Christmas Day, the morning of December 26, 2018, in Newman when he pulled over a driver on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Officer Singh never saw his wife, Anamika, and their newborn five-month-old son the Christmas night. The driver, identified as Gustavo Perez Arriaga, shot Singh after being pulled over and drove off.
Officer Singh's case recently garnered political attention after President Donald Trump, immediately after Arriaga's arrest, gave an address from the Oval Office, pushing the need to build a border wall between the US and Mexico. "America’s heart broke the day after Christmas when a young police officer in California was savagely murdered in cold blood by an illegal alien, who just came across the border... The life of an American hero was stolen by someone who had no right to be in our country," Trump said.
The 33-year-old policemen called out on his radio, "shots fired," and when other officers arrived at the scene of the traffic stop, they found Singh with a gunshot wound. The father-of-one was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Authorities launched a massive manhunt for Arriaga, which concluded after 55-hours of relentless searching. Gustavo Perez Arriaga, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was captured and arrested for Singh's murder. Arriaga had also been charged with driving under the influence previously and was wanted for not serving his sentence on the previous two charges. He had been arrested for DUI twice and he openly spoke about being affiliated with a gang. On the night of Singh's tragic death, a DUI warrant against Arriaga was still outstanding.
Arriaga was charged with Singh's murder during a court appearance on January 2, 2019, however, the trial was temporarily suspended after his attorney requested a mental health evaluation of his client. Months later, on April 2, 2019, he was cleared by psychiatrists to stand trial, however, the suspect pled not guilty to the officer's murder. Arriaga is facing the death penalty. Along with Arriaga, seven of his friends and family members — all of them illegal immigrants from Mexico — were also indicted for attempting to assist him in fleeing out of the country during the manhunt.
Arriaga's trial was scheduled to resume on September 1, 2020, however, has now been delayed as the key witnesses in the case are facing deportation. The three main witnesses, Conrado Virgen Arriaga, Adrian Virgen, and Erik Razo Quiroz, were each given light prison sentences for helping Arriaga avoid arrest post Singh's murder. The witnesses were reportedly sentenced to less than two years' prison term in January, however, it is likely that they will serve less than half the time before they are deported to Mexico.
The Department of Homeland Security had reportedly been holding off on the witnesses' deportations so they could contribute to the murder trial. However, Arriaga's attorneys are now seeking to delay the trial by another 18 months. Chief Deputy District Marlisa Ferreira, in a recent statement, said that such a long delay was unacceptable. "This case has been going on for almost two years already,” Ferreira told the Modesto Bee. “It’s unacceptable to put it out that long."
Singh, also a migrant, grew up in Navua, Fiji, emigrated to California in 2003 along with his family. He later attended a police academy and joined the Newman, California Police Department in 2011. He is survived by his wife and son.