The third eyewitness to the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston by an immigration officer last month has been released from federal detention.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials released Victor Salgado Araujo, who is Lorenzo’s brother, from custody Sunday morning, after his attorney filed several legal petitions including a federal suit claiming he is wrongfully being detained. The government also indicated it would likely approve his application for a temporary legal status since he is a witness to a potential crime.
He had been held in the Montgomery ICE Processing Center, which is north of Houston, since the July 7 shooting.
That morning, Victor Salgado Araujo sat in the front seat of his brother’s van as they picked up two fellow workers for a construction job, when ICE officers started following them in unmarked vehicles.
ICE initially said Lorenzo Salgado Araujo rammed their vehicles as he tried to flee and an officer shot him in self-defense. But Victor Salgado Araujo and the two other passengers disputed that account.
Victor Salgado Araujo’s release comes just days after Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare publicly said he plans to bring the case to a grand jury in the “next few weeks,” partly to force the release of more evidence. And because there is no body camera or dash camera footage of the shooting, his testimony as one of just three eyewitnesses is even more crucial to the understanding of what happened.
The other two eyewitnesses, Daniel Tirado Pantoja and Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego, have already been released from ICE custody.
“Victor’s release is an important moment, but it is not the end of this fight,” his attorney, Ruby Powers, said in a statement. “The pursuit of truth, accountability, and justice for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo continues, and we remain steadfast in protecting Victor’s immigration rights and standing alongside him and his family.”
Ronaldo Salgado, Lorenzo’s son, similarly called his uncle’s release “a key step” in getting justice for his father.
“His first meal was chilaquiles from his favorite restaurant, just as his usual Sunday routine called for,” he added in a Facebook post. “He is now with family, finally able to process the tragic loss he witnessed and the nearly two months spent in detention.
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