MADISON, Wis. — A woman charged in a fatal crash that killed two Minnesota teenagers is back in Dane County Jail after a brief stay in ICE custody.
Noelia Martinez-Avila was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on August 13, following the posting of her $250,000 bond, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett confirmed that once the bond was posted, the release process began. “ICE was within its authority to take custody,” Barrett stated, underscoring the limitations of his role in the justice system.
The Dane County District Attorney's Office filed an emergency motion to revise Martinez-Avila's bond the following day. During a hearing on August 15, Judge Diane Schlipper ruled to increase the bond to $5 million.
In light of this decision, Martinez-Avila was transferred back to Dane County Jail on Friday night. She is accused of driving under the influence and the wrong way on the interstate near DeForest, resulting in a crash on July 20. The accident claimed the life of 18-year-old Hallie Helgeson, who died at the scene, while 19-year-old Brady Heiling succumbed to injuries later.
Martinez-Avila faces six felony and three misdemeanor charges, with the most severe being two counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and two counts of homicide by use of a vehicle with prohibited alcohol concentration.