Illegal immigrant arrested for DUI found with multiple aliases

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A McCook man the Department of Homeland Security said was in the country illegally attempted to conceal his identity after being arrested for drunk driving and was ultimately recognized as being wanted on two different Red Willow County warrants. The offender, 27-year-old Jesus Mendez-Gonzales, claimed to be Jesus Omar Montes after running into a medium on U.S. Highway 83 and being arrested for drunk driving with a blood alcohol content more than triple the legal limit.

At the time of his May 2014 arrest, Mendez-Gonzales already had two active Red Willow County warrants, one under his name and a second under the alias of Juan Carlos Mendez Ochoa.

Two hours after he was jailed, the arresting officer, assisted by a jailer, discovered the Montes identity was an alias and confirmed Mendez-Gonzales identity by pulling up a 2012 mugshot. The mugshot stemmed from a previous drunk driving arrest on East B Street in McCook.

Mendez-Gonzales was sentenced on a total of four criminal cases stemming from the offenses during a May sentencing hearing in Red Willow County Court.

Mendez-Gonzales was fined $500 and ordered to serve 14 days in jail as a result of a DUI (.17) conviction stemming from his February 2012 arrest. He was also found guilty of an infraction for not having an operator's license.

He was convicted of DUI (.28) stemming from the May 2014 arrest and fined an additional $500 fine, as well as ordered to serve 14 days in jail and his driver's license was revoked for one year.

He was originally cited with an additional Class III felony offense for criminal impersonation following his 2014 arrest, as well as an infraction for not having an operator's license, neither of those charges were pursued by Red Willow County Attorney Paul Wood.

Mendez-Gonzales was fined $25 as a result of a 2013 failure to appear charge and a November 2012 speeding violation was dismissed by Wood.

Court documents list additional aliases used by Mendez-Gonzales as Jesus Gonzales-Mendez, Juan C. Mendez and Juan C. Ochoa Mendez. The Department of Homeland Security ordered a 48-hour hold on Mendez-Gonzales after his identity was confirmed and told investigators he was in the country illegally.