2 illegal immigrants working at Penta Career site, police say

12/28/2006

A routine traffic stop involving two men working at the Penta Career Center construction site has blossomed into a possible immigration case, Rossford police said.

Police Sgt. Brian Cranny said Ricardo Delatorre-Covian, 27, and Miguel Martinez, 27, were stopped today for running a stop sign at Buck and Lime City roads.

Both men are employees for Quality Roofing out of Ann Arbor, a company subcontracted to do roofing work at Penta s new campus.

While being questioned, Sergeant Cranny said Mr. Delatorre-Covian told police that the two men were from Mexico and in this country illegally.

The two men were arraigned in Perrysburg Municipal Court today on traffic violations and are being held at the Wood County Justice Center on $10,000 bond each.

Authorities said once the two men s legal issues regarding their traffic violations are resolved, they will be handed over to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and scheduled for deportation hearings.

Penta released a statement in which it said the school served notice to the project s general contractor, Mosser Construction, that Quality Roofing was not to report to work at the new Penta Campus on Friday.

A woman who answered the phone yesterday at Quality Roofing but refused to give her name said the two men were illegal immigrants.

Read more in later editions of The Blade and toledoblade.com