Mexican Immigrant Kills Cellmate to Avoid Deportation

Roberto Venegas Fernández, a Mexican immigrant detained after crossing the border, murdered his cellmate to avoid being deported to his native country.

According to the Associated Press, Fernández was detained by authorities in June when he tried to illegally cross the border to the United States through California.

The man tried to cross the border for the first time in 1998, but was detained and deported immediately.

On his second try, the 43-year-old was detained and moved to a Corrections Corporation of America in Florence along with 55-year-old American inmate Michael Patrick McNaughton, with whom he shared a cell, awaiting deportation.

The AP explained that McNaughton was serving a six-year sentence for child pornography when he was attacked on Nov. 16 by Fernández.

Paul Babeu, the prison's warden, said that the prisoner attacked his cellmate to avoid being deported to Mexico and spend more time in prison because he has nowhere to go after his sentence is over.

"Roberto wanted to find a way to stay in jail, so while the victim was sitting on his bed, he choked him until he collapsed. He jumped on his head and continued to choke him until he died," said warden Babeu.

Authorities of Pinal County accused the Fernández of intentional homicide.

To keep immigrants from crossing the border, the immigration reform project supported by President Barack Obama includes security measures to reinforce the border between the United States and Mexico.

In the United States, over 50 percent of citizens have shown their support for the reform, which would also grant undocumented immigrants their citizenship if they can meet the requirements.