Blauvelt Man Accused Of Felony DWI Held On Immigration Charges

A Blauvelt man arrested on felony drunken driving charges is being held by immigration officials to determine if he faces possible deportation, according to Orangetown police Monday night.

Jose Avendano Barrera, 34, of 380 Blauvelt Road, Blauvelt, was arrested after town police investigated reports of a suspicious man driving a white Toyota pickup truck. A Blauvelt resident walking her dog told police the man asked her for help finding his own home  on Blauvelt Road.

The pickup truck was stopped by police at Blauvelt Road and Van Wyck Road in Blauvelt, where police said they determined Barrera was intoxicated. Police said a search of the pickup led to the discovery of a switchblade knife in a cup holder.

Barrera was taken to Orangetown police headquarters in Orangeburg, where police said he failed a chemical breath test for alcohol.

Police said they also discovered Barrera’s driver’s license had been revoked because he had refused to take a similar test when he was stopped for DWI in 2011. Barrera was convicted of driving while intoxicated in Spring Valley in 2011.

A background check of Barrera also revealed he was wanted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for immigration violations. He was later turned over to ICE on an immigration detainer to determine whether he should be deported.

 Barrera is charged with driving while intoxicated, a felony, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a misdemeanor, and first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a felony.