Illegal immigrant sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing Washington State Trooper in DUI crash

A Mexican national with a long criminal record who was living in the United States illegally has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for the March 2024 vehicular homicide of Washington State Patrol Trooper Christopher Gadd.

Raul Benitez-Santana, 33, was sentenced Wednesday afternoon to 125 months in prison and 18 months of community custody after being convicted earlier this month of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault in a Snohomish County courtroom, according to KOMO news.

Benitez-Santana was driving under the influence at 107 miles per hour on the shoulder of Interstate 5 near Marysville when he struck and killed Trooper Gadd, who was parked during a routine traffic stop. Gadd, 27, left behind a wife, Camryn, and their 2-year-old daughter.

“He was my rock and I knew together we could face anything,” Gadd’s widow said in a victim statement read by an advocate. “Chris did his job that night. He got one more dangerous driver off the road. He lost his life doing it … If Chris didn’t stop this drunk driver, it would have been another family going through this unbearable pain.”

During the hearing, the defense argued for leniency, citing Benitez-Santana’s role as a father and the impact incarceration would have on his children. Judge Karen Moore sharply criticized the argument. “It’s troubling to me to hear an argument that I should consider the impact of long incarceration on your children, because what about Trooper Gadd’s child? I caution you to think about the approach that you take with that.”

Benitez-Santana’s defense team had previously filed motions to dismiss the case, alleging improper coordination between local prosecutors and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which they claimed violated Washington’s sanctuary state law. Judge Moore denied the motions, finding no legal grounds to dismiss the case.

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) agents were reportedly stationed at the courthouse during the trial, and ICE placed an immigration detainer on Benitez-Santana shortly after his arrest. The US Department of Homeland Security has since issued a removal order, and he is expected to be deported following his prison term.

Jurors were not informed of Benitez-Santana’s immigration status during the trial. According to his attorneys, members of his family did not attend court proceedings out of fear of immigration enforcement.

Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste was present at the sentencing to support Gadd’s family and said, “No matter what the outcome was today, it won’t bring Chris back. It won’t take away the pain. Chris had a saying: ‘one more stop.’ That’s how committed he was. Chris was about to go on break with a peer, and he told his peer ‘I’m going to make one more stop’ — and it ended up being his last.”

Benitez-Santana has a history of criminal offenses in Washington State, all committed while he was unlawfully present in the US. In 2013, he was charged with marijuana possession and convicted twice for driving with a suspended license. In 2017, he was arrested for domestic violence after repeatedly punching his girlfriend and breaking her nose. He was sentenced in 2019 to probation and behavioral therapy.

He was able to remain in the US after the 2019 conviction when then-Governor Jay Inslee signed legislation making Washington a “sanctuary state” days before the conviction.