Velasquez, the suspect in an attempted armed robbery that took place in Derby, who fled the country and illegally entered Canada without inspection in September, was subject to a Canadian Removal Order due to criminal activity in the province of Quebec.
Before Velasquez entered Canada and failed to present herself to a CBSA office, she is alledged to have attempted to rob the Derby Corner Mini Mart with a rifle, leading police on a high-speed chase on Route 5.
The pursuit ended in Quebec when she lost control of her vehicle and was apprehended by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Sûreté du Québec.
At court in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Velasquez pled guilty and was sentenced to 135 days of prison for offenses under the Criminal Code of Canada and under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
On January 7, after serving her sentence in Canada, she was turned over to U.S. authorities by the CBSA.
Police now say that law enforcement databases indicate that 31-year-old Velasquez has a lengthy criminal record and was the subject of two active arrest warrants outside of Orleans County.
“Active collaboration with our federal, state and international law enforcement partners led to the return of an alleged criminal to face justice in Vermont,” said Kevin W. Weeks, CBP director of Field Operations in Boston. “Protecting public safety is a responsibility that falls on both sides of the international boundary, and CBP is proud to work side by side with our Canadian counterparts, taking dangerous people off the street.”
The charges and allegations contained in criminal complaints are merely accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
