Felony charges have been filed against a man accused of claiming a false identity and providing a fake Mexican driver’s license after he was found potentially intoxicated inside his vehicle along U.S. Highway 12 in Lewis County early Wednesday morning.
Juan Carlos Alvarado, 49, made an initial appearance in Lewis County Superior Court via a video feed from the Lewis County Jail on Thursday.
At least, that’s the name and age he provided through an interpreter when asked by Judge Paul Strophy.
The day before, when contacted by a Washington State Patrol trooper, he produced an allegedly fraudulent Mexican driver’s license that identified himself as Daniel Bautista Perez, 46.
Both names appear on charging documents filed in Lewis County Superior Court by prosecutors.
He faces charges of first-degree criminal impersonation and forgery, both Class C felonies punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He’s also charged with possession of a fictitious or fraudulently altered license or ID and making a false or misleading statement to a public servant, both misdemeanors punishable by up to 364 days in jail and fines ranging from a maximum of $1,000 to $5,000.
Accepting the recommendation of the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office, Strophy set bail at $10,000, citing concerns with his lack of ties to the local community and his potential inability or unwillingness to return for future court hearings.
Through the interpreter, Alvarado said he understood the charges against him and stated that he works in agriculture. According to the prosecutor’s office, his last known address was in Okanogan County and, before that, in California.
He was assigned a public defender and will next appear in court for an arraignment and trial setting hearing next week.
According to charging documents filed by prosecutors, a Washington State Patrol trooper was on routine patrol and was advised of a pickup truck in a ditch near mile marker 74 on U.S. Highway 12 in Lewis County at about 5:20 a.m. Oct. 28.
When the trooper spoke to Alvarado, who was in the vehicle, he identified himself as Daniel Bautista Perez using a “Estados Unidos Mexicanos, Gobierno del Estado de Michoacan ‘Chofer’ license,” court documents state.
Based on further research, the trooper determined the license did not appear to be real. The trooper conducted a DUI investigation and ultimately arrested Alvarado on suspicion of that charge.
The trooper, who was fluent in Spanish, conducted the investigation in Spanish. Alvarado again provided his name as Daniel Bautista Perez when he was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to court documents.
During the investigation, the trooper attempted to verify the Mexican driver's license, but was not able to do so through Washington State Patrol Communications. When asked to verify information from the driver’s license, Alvarado could only remember the name “Daniel Bautista Perez.” Additional information he provided was incorrect based on the document.
“(The trooper) called Policia Michoacana to ask them to verify the driver's license he was given,” charging documents state. “They were unable to locate any records with the information on the license. The Lewis County Jail ran fingerprints of Perez. The fingerprints returned identifying him as Juan Carlos Alvarado, DOB 3-16-1977.”
