Authorities: Drive-by suspect in U.S. illegally

Roberto Argueta, the 18-year-old arrested by Collier County sheriff's deputies for his alleged involvement in a drive-by shooting that left a woman dead and a man injured in Immokalee, is undocumented and in the country illegally, authorities said Friday.

A report from the Collier County Sheriff's Office said the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has placed a hold on Argueta.

"He won't be released until they make a determination of what to do with him," said sheriff's spokeswoman Stephanie Spell.

Spell said she didn't know where Argueta was from or how long he'd been in the country.

At about 8 p.m. Tuesday, Argueta and 18-year-old Henry Mancha drove by a home at 1304 Peach St., and someone fired shots into a crowd of people gathered in the front yard. Mancha told authorities Wednesday that he was the driver and Argueta the shooter.

Melinda Gonzales, 30, a married mother of four young children, died of a gunshot wound to the head after she was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital. Hector Ramirez Jr., 18, was shot in the ankle. He was discharged from the North Collier Hospital on Wednesday.

A funeral for Gonzales is scheduled for 10 a.m. today at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church.

The motive for the shooting appears to be retaliation for an earlier scuffle involving Ramirez at Mancha's home, authorities reported.

A break in the case came Wednesday morning when Mancha's mother, Elvira Juarez, arrived at the Immokalee substation and told authorities her son was involved in the shooting and wanted to talk to investigators.

Both Mancha and Argueta were arrested Wednesday evening.

Argueta was charged with premeditated murder and attempted murder. Mancha was charged with murder not premeditated and attempted murder. Both remain in jail with no bond.

The Collier County Sheriff's Office also has researched the status of Mancha and said that all the information received so far indicates he is in the country legally.