Man facing intoxicated manslaughter charge

Rojas - DWI Illegal Alien

By Lucretia Fernandez
Published: 07.25.08

A man who allegedly caused the death of a Conroe man in June is expected to face trial, now that a Montgomery grand jury has indicted him on intoxication manslaughter charges.

Miguel Laynez Rojas, 33, of Houston, is facing second-degree felony charges in the 284th state District Court of Judge Cara Woods.

A second-degree felony is punishable by a term of two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Rojas is currently being held at the Montgomery County Jail without bond because the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement has a hold on him.

Several days following the accident on June 26, when Rojas allegedly pulled in front of Adam Landrum’s motorcycle on Interstate 45, Rojas posted a $30,000 bond and was released from jail, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Capt. Robert Green said. Last week, one day before Rojas’ July 17 indictment, Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies picked Rojas up from the ICE detention center in Houston.

According to Green, ICE did not place a hold on Rojas the first time he was arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter.

“They (ICE) usually have someone up here every day, but he (Rojas) may have been booked in after they left or on the weekend,” Green said.

Rojas’ attorney, Robert Bartlett, declined to give comment on the allegations.

Landrum’s mother is trying to deal with the loss of her second child this year. Her daughter, Adam Landrum’s sister, was killed in a car accident on Interstate 45 in April.

Tuesday is Adam Landrum’s birthday. He would have turned 27, said his mother, Jean Landrum. Rojas’ indictment brings her some consolation, but not much, she said.

“Nothing can bring my son back,” Jean Landrum said. “If it were up to me, I would pour every alcoholic beverage out in the world.”

Jean Landrum is convinced, although it has not been confirmed, the truck Rojas was allegedly driving was driven over her son’s 6-foot-1-inch, 210-pound body.

“There were so many broken bones in my son’s body that they must have run over him,” Jean Landrum said. “The wrecker said he had to pick the truck up off of him. My son was big and strong and never broke a bone before.”