A man suspected of killing Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and his Uber driver in a drunken-driving crash over the weekend was formally charged Wednesday, according to multiple reports.
Manuel Orrego-Savala -- a 37-year-old Guatemalan man who was living illegally in Indiana, according to police -- was charged with four felony counts in connection with the crash that killed Edwin Jackson, 26, and Jeffrey Monroe, 54, the Indianapolis Star reported.
Orrego-Savala pleaded not guilty Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.
His attorney, Jorge Torres, told a judge Wednesday morning that Orrego-Savala was distraught and confused by the charges against him, the AP reported. He said that Orrego-Savala has lived in Indiana for years and did construction work in the Indianapolis area.
>> Related: Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson killed by drunk driver, police say
He added that Orrego-Savala's immigration status has nothing to do with Sunday's crash, according to the AP.
Police said Orrego-Savala, who also goes by the name Alex Cabrera Gonsales, was in the United States illegally, despite being deported twice before – once in 2007 and again in 2009. On Tuesday, federal authorities charged Orrego-Savala with illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien, according to the Star.
Credit: Indiana State Police
Credit: Indiana State Police
Nicole Alberico, spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told the Star that authorities believe Orrego-Savala came to the U.S. illegally in about July 2004. He was convicted in 2005 of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol in Redwood City, California, she said.
He was deported by authorities in San Francisco in both 2007 and 2009, Alberico told the Star. It was not immediately clear why he was in Indiana.
Indiana State police arrested Orrego-Savala early Sunday after authorities said he drove a pickup truck onto the emergency shoulder on a stretch of Interstate 70 in Marion County, hitting a car that had pulled off the shoulder. Officials said Monroe and Jackson were outside of the car and killed in the crash.
Jackson, an undrafted linebacker out of Georgia Southern, played in all 16 games with eight starts, recording 66 tackles in 2016 for the Colts. This past season, he was on the injured-reserve list.
"We admired his outgoing personality, competitive spirit and hard-working mentality," the Colts said in a release. "He was well-respected among all with whom he crossed paths, and he will be greatly missed in our locker room and throughout our entire organization."
Orrego-Savala is expected to appear in court March 21 for a pre-trial hearing, according to the Star.
Fanbuzz contributed to this report.
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