Local

Suspect caught in connection to Nassau deputy's death had previously been deported twice

The suspect linked to Tuesday's death of a Nassau County Sheriff's Deputy is expected to face a federal judge in Jacksonville at 3pm Wednesday.

Through the day, we followed the search for a man who fled U.S. Border Patrol agents in Yulee.  Nassau County Deputy Eric Oliver was fatally hit by a sport utility vehicle while chasing that suspect.

Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper now confirms to WOKV that the suspect who ran off was caught 12 hours later in the Southside near Samuel Wolfson High School.

"At approximately 7:45 p.m., the subject that ran from Border Patrol and Nassau County Sheriff's Deputies this morning... was captured in Jacksonville at Atlantic Self-Storage on Powers Avenue," Leeper stated. "[The suspect] had been deported from the U.S. on two separate occasions and is being held on felony reentry into the U.S. by Border Patrol at this time."

NCSO identifies the suspect as 25-year-old Francisco Obbidio Portillo-Fuentes of Guatemala. He's since been booked into Baker County Jail after an intense manhunt which also involved air, ground and K-9 units from the U.S. Marshals and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

We're working to gather more details about how he was caught and will update as that becomes available.

According to Leeper, it all started when Portillo-Fuentes and five other people in a pickup truck were stopped by Border Patrol agents at a GATE gas station off State Road 200 near Chester Road around 7:30 Tuesday morning.

Deputy Oliver and another Nassau deputy were at the gas station because of a previous call and stayed to assist the agents as needed. When the suspect fled on foot, Oliver chased. He was hit by an SUV going westbound on S.R. 200 and pronounced dead on the scene.

A statement to the press from Border Patrol afterward noted that three of the people in the truck were in the country illegally and that the other two fled in the truck while the Border Patrol agent went to help Deputy Oliver after he had been struck by the SUV.

The two who fled in the truck were found later on in the day and are now in custody, per Border Patrol.

The Florida Highway Patrol says the crash investigation is still ongoing, but investigators don't believe the driver could have been able to avoid the crash.

mobile apps

Everything you love about wokv.com and more! Tap on any of the buttons below to download our app.

amazon alexa

Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices!