{"id":50796,"date":"2026-04-14T21:05:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T21:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=50796"},"modified":"2026-04-14T21:05:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T21:05:37","slug":"illegal-immigrant-accused-of-drunken-driving-killing-2-kids-in-spartanburg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=50796","title":{"rendered":"Illegal immigrant accused of drunken driving, killing 2 kids in Spartanburg"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"beyondwords-wrapper\" class=\"beyondwords-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"speakable\">An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/immigration\/illegal-immigrants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">illegal immigrant<\/a>, allegedly so intoxicated he could not stand, is accused of driving off a roadway and killing two children riding bikes on a sidewalk, officials said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable\">Eri Otoniel Roblero-Perez was denied bond Monday on two counts of felony DUI resulting in death. He also faces charges of driving without a license and open container. He is currently being held at the Spartanburg County Detention Facility.<\/p>\n<p>The crash happened around 12:20 p.m. Sunday along Asheville Highway at Brock Street, about three miles west of Spartanburg.<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/us-regions\/southeast\/south-carolina\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">South Carolina Highway Patrol<\/a>, Roblero-Perez was driving a 2016 Honda Accord eastbound when the vehicle veered off the road and struck two boys who were riding bicycles on the sidewalk.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/illegal-immigrant-who-fled-us-after-killing-sarah-root-sentenced-20-years-behind-bars\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO FLED US AFTER KILLING SARAH ROOT SENTENCED TO 20+ YEARS BEHIND BARS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/343\/192\/eri-otoniel-roblero-perez-dui-crash-suspect-spartanburg.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/686\/384\/eri-otoniel-roblero-perez-dui-crash-suspect-spartanburg.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/672\/378\/eri-otoniel-roblero-perez-dui-crash-suspect-spartanburg.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1344\/756\/eri-otoniel-roblero-perez-dui-crash-suspect-spartanburg.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/931\/523\/eri-otoniel-roblero-perez-dui-crash-suspect-spartanburg.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1862\/1046\/eri-otoniel-roblero-perez-dui-crash-suspect-spartanburg.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/720\/405\/eri-otoniel-roblero-perez-dui-crash-suspect-spartanburg.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1440\/810\/eri-otoniel-roblero-perez-dui-crash-suspect-spartanburg.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1200\/675\/eri-otoniel-roblero-perez-dui-crash-suspect-spartanburg.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Eri Otoniel Roblero-Perez charged in deadly Spartanburg DUI crash\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Eri Otoniel Roblero-Perez faces multiple charges, including felony DUI resulting in death, after a crash that killed two children in Spartanburg County.<\/span> <span>(Spartanburg Co. Sheriff&#8217;s Office)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The victims were identified as 12-year-old Dereon James Robins and 9-year-old Mikhail-Lee Smith, both of Spartanburg.<\/p>\n<p>Both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/crime\/homicide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">boys later died from their injuries<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Details from Monday\u2019s bond hearing, first reported by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wyff4.com\/article\/two-boys-killed-highway-crash-suspect-ice-detainer\/71007408\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">WYFF News 4,<\/a> described the emotional testimony and the defendant\u2019s condition at the scene.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/ice-arrests-illegal-immigrant-hit-and-run-suspect-death-veteran-texas-deputy-who-died-helping-others\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>ICE ARRESTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HIT-AND-RUN SUSPECT IN DEATH OF VETERAN TEXAS DEPUTY WHO DIED HELPING OTHERS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/343\/192\/dereon-robins-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/686\/384\/dereon-robins-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/672\/378\/dereon-robins-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1344\/756\/dereon-robins-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/931\/523\/dereon-robins-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1862\/1046\/dereon-robins-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/720\/405\/dereon-robins-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1440\/810\/dereon-robins-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1200\/675\/dereon-robins-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"12-year-old Dereon James Robins, one of two boys killed in Spartanburg bike crash\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Dereon James Robins, 12, was killed after a car struck him while he was riding a bike on a sidewalk in Spartanburg, South Carolina.<\/span> <span>(GoFundMe)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Dereon\u2019s mother, Megan, said she was walking behind the children when the car veered toward them.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I watched him almost hit me, and I then ran to my son while he bled to death,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>Family members <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/entertainment\/events\/in-court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pleaded with the judge<\/a> to keep Roblero-Perez behind bars.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Now I have to bury my own brother\u2026 on his own birthday,&#8221; one of Dereon\u2019s brothers said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/tips\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>GOT A TIP?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/343\/192\/mikhail-lee-smith-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/686\/384\/mikhail-lee-smith-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/672\/378\/mikhail-lee-smith-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1344\/756\/mikhail-lee-smith-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/931\/523\/mikhail-lee-smith-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1862\/1046\/mikhail-lee-smith-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/720\/405\/mikhail-lee-smith-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1440\/810\/mikhail-lee-smith-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1200\/675\/mikhail-lee-smith-spartanburg-bike-crash-victim.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"9-year-old Mikhail-Lee Smith killed in Spartanburg bicycle crash\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Mikhail-Lee Smith, 9, died after being struck by a car while riding a bicycle in Spartanburg.<\/span> <span>(GoFundMe)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Prosecutors said Roblero-Perez showed clear signs of intoxication \u2014 including slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and a strong odor of alcohol \u2014 and was unable to complete a field sobriety test or hold himself upright.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities say the vehicle left the roadway at a high rate of speed before striking the children.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FoxUSNews\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>FOLLOW US ON X<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Another passenger was inside the car but fled the scene and has not been located.<\/p>\n<p>The Spartanburg County Sheriff\u2019s Office confirmed Roblero-Perez is in the United States illegally. A judge also noted in court that an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/immigration\/deportation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">immigration detainer<\/a> has been placed on him.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/newsletters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The case has sparked outrage online and in the community, with many questioning the circumstances of the crash and calling for accountability.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our hearts are heavy as we lift up the families of the two young boys whose lives were tragically taken in South Carolina,&#8221; Sen. Tim Scott said in a statement. &#8220;We are praying for God\u2019s comfort to surround them, and for justice to be swiftly and fully served.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He added that the tragedy reflects broader concerns over border security, saying, &#8220;This devastating loss is not an isolated tragedy\u2014it is the direct result of Biden\u2019s open border policies, and innocent Americans are paying the price.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/topic\/family-and-friends\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Family and friends<\/a> said Dereon, who was just days away from his 13th birthday, &#8220;brought joy to all those around him,&#8221; according to a GoFundMe message.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>CLICK HERE FOR MORE US NEWS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Family members are urging others to think twice before drinking and driving.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If you decide to drink, stay at home. It is not a driving activity. It\u2019s not fun. It\u2019s not cool,&#8221; a family member said.<\/p>\n<p>Roblero-Perez is scheduled to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/crime\/trials\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">appear in court<\/a> again on June 18. The investigation remains ongoing.<\/p>\n<p>Fox News Digital has reached out to the coroner\u2019s office, South Carolina Highway Patrol, and the solicitor\u2019s office for comment.<\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Stepheny Price is a Writer at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fox News <\/a>with a focus on West Coast and Midwest news, missing persons, national and international crime stories, homicide cases, and border security.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/illegal-immigrant-driver-charged-dui-car-veers-road-kills-two-children-bikes-police\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! An illegal immigrant, allegedly so intoxicated he could not stand, is accused of driving off a roadway and&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50797,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=50796"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50796\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/50797"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=50796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=50796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=50796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}