By Kari Lydersen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 18, 2007;
Were the first Chicago (Police blog) to run this story.
We have a blog bet going on this police story.
Big question here, why wasn't this a top running story? The question has to be asked. "How many other illegal aliens have assumed another's identity and infiltrated our Police departments nationally?" We have said it before. Serious problems with lax Police Departments and their faulty back ground checks. No problem here. Only Five years of an illegal masquerading as a cop. Placed on a paid leave.? Or how about his convictions being over turned? Approved and trained to carry a weapon? He told lie after lie. This concerns every Police Officer, working and suspended, every Police agency and every city. Or maybe you think, it couldn't happen to your agency or here?
Where is the follow up from June? Cornejo was let out on bond? The Latino Officer's association even held a fund raiser, what's wrong with this? Everything! You held a fund raiser for a known criminal who not only stole his deceased cousins identity, but was sworn under oath to up hold the law, while brazenly violating and breaking the law. We get it, he was a good Latino guy in your eyes. Wrong and wrong again! To make matters worse his brother was also a cop, who knew the truth and kept his mouth shut! Who else knew?
The media makes a point to show up our official officer's for their wrong doing by continual parading but literally ignored this hot story of importance! Cornejo was not an officer that just got jammed up in the system for doing his job. He was an illegal alien who infiltrated the Milwaukee Police department with stolen identity, and yet you treated him like a cop just because he played a cop. Were in serious trouble here on stops, arrests, back ground checks and access to confidential information. Illegal Alien infiltrates Police. No wonder the liberal mainstream media kept a wide lid on this story!
Oscar Ayala-Cornejo, 24. He is an illegal immigrant from Mexico who had assumed Morales's identity as a high school student in 1999.
Milwaukee police officer Oscar Ayala-Cornejo, 24, had gone by the name Victor Morales since 1999. Under a plea bargain, he will serve time in jail, then leave the country. (Milwaukee Police Department)
In court papers filed June 15, Ayala-Cornejo agreed to plead guilty to a federal felony charge of falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen.
The police department suspended Ayala-Cornejo from his job after he was arrested on May 30 and has now taken him off the payroll. Brother Alexander Ayala, 26, a U.S. citizen who is an officer in the same South Milwaukee district, has been placed on administrative duty. Police are reportedly investigating who else may have known about Ayala-Cornejo's identity.
John Balcerzak, president of the Milwaukee Police Association labor union, said the incident shows that the department should beef up its background-check process.
"This is a wake-up call to our department and departments around the country," he said. "When I was hired 20 years ago, they went to old neighbors and high school teachers. People are really concerned he was able to do this, and they feel let down by him."
Department spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz declined to comment.
Ayala-Cornejo had documentation of his assumed identity, including a driver's license. He attended one high school using his given name, then switched to another school where he enrolled as Morales and graduated in 2001. That yearbook shows his picture with Morales's name. Ayala-Cornejo could not be reached to comment.