LITTLE ROCK—A Mexican citizen who returned to the United States after being previously deported was sentenced to serve 13 years and 2 months in federal prison for illegal reentry. Wednesday afternoon, United States District Judge Brian S. Miller sentenced Cristobal Palomerez-Heredia, 45, of Mexico, to 158 months’ imprisonment.
Cristobal Palomerez-Heredia is a menace to society, and his actions will no longer be tolerated. He will now face the consequences of his actions and serve time for his crimes. The people of Arkansas deserve to be safe, and this sentence brings us one step closer to that goal.
On March 18, 2020, officers with the Star City Police Department responded to a shots-fired call. When officers arrived, they found Palomerez-Heredia pacing back and forth, appearing aggressive and agitated. While trying to detain Palomerez-Heredia, he charged the officer, punching, scratching, and headbutting the officer multiple times causing injuries to the officer’s mouth, jaw, forearm, and hand. Palomerez-Heredia was eventually subdued and taken into custody.
In addition to his most recent crime, Palomerez-Heredia has prior federal criminal convictions for illegal alien in possession of a firearm (2006) and deported alien found in the United States (2011). He received a 12-year sentence for attempted murder in the Circuit Court of Lincoln County, Arkansas, stemming from the shootout on September 22, 2021.
On September 22, 2021, officers with the Star City Police Department again responded to a shooting call. When officers arrived at the residence, Palomerez-Heredia began shooting at them from his front door. Officers took protective positions as Palomerez-Heredia continued to fire rounds at them. After backup arrived, officers were able to take Palomerez-Heredia into custody. During the execution of a search warrant at the residence, officers located a loaded .22 caliber rifle with a scope, 24 spent .22 shell casings, and an additional loaded magazine. On that same day, agents with the Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (DHS-ICE) positively identified Palomerez-Heredia and arrested him on a federal warrant.
In addition to the 158-month prison sentence, which Judge Miller ordered to run consecutive to Palomerez-Heredia’s 12-year sentence for attempted murder, Judge Miller sentenced Palomerez-Heredia to serve three years of supervised release following imprisonment. The only condition of Palomerez-Heredia’s supervised release is that he not return to the United States after deportation. The case was investigated by the Star City Police Department and Officer Charles Davis with DHS-ICE; the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Crews.
The office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas thanks the Star City Police Department and Officer Charles Davis with DHS-ICE for their hard work and dedication to keeping our community safe. We also thank Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Crews for his efforts in bringing this case to justice.
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Key Facts
- State: Arkansas
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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