Man freed on murder charge, detained on immigration charge (Note: So, a murder suspect can be released by a judge -- and illegal entry into America is a misdemeanor? There are some serious problems here!) October 21, 2005 By Sergio Chapa schapa@brownsvilleherald.com  The Brownsville Herald Brownsville, Texas http://www.BrownsvilleHerald.com  To submit a Letter to the Editor: dfullerton@brownsvilleherald.com  A Brownsville murder suspect was freed on bond Monday night but never got the chance to leave the Cameron County Jail before federal authorities served him with an illegal immigration charge. Officials with the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office said Serafin Ibarra Balderas, 27, is the key suspect in the March 24 shooting death of 22-year-old Mario Enrique Villanueva on Southmost Boulevard. Ibarra was arrested during a June traffic stop by Brownsville police. The 27-year-old Mexican man was being held under $2 million in bonds until Monday, when 138th state District Judge Rolando Olvera gave him two $500,000 personal recognizance bonds that would allow him to leave jail with only a signature. Under state law, inmates who have been held more than 90 days without being indicted are required to be given personal bonds or reduced bonds. Jail records show that Ibarra had been held 129 days and signed his bond that would have released him from county custody at 9:17 p.m. Monday. But because Ibarra is an undocumented immigrant, he was booked back into jail under a federal illegal entry charge. A criminal complaint shows that Ibarra admitted to illegally crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico on June 8. Ibarra appeared Wednesday morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Felix Recio and received a 30-day jail sentence as well as five years probation for the misdemeanor illegal entry charge. First Assistant District Attorney Charles Mattingly told The Brownsville Herald on Wednesday that Ibarra remains the chief suspect in the Southmost Boulevard shoot-out and the time he serves on the federal charge could be used to bring an indictment against him. Copyright 2005, The Brownsville Herald. http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/ts_comments.php?id=P67705_0_10_0