The police officer whose stop of a 19-year-old undocumented student in Dalton, Georgia, led to an ICE detention has now resigned. But many are still asking—how did it get this far?
It started with a wrong turn—or rather, a misidentified one. What followed was a chain reaction that swept a Georgia town into the national spotlight and left a family reeling. Now, the officer at the center of it all is gone.
Leslie Allen O’Neal, the Dalton police officer who pulled over 19-year-old Ximena Arias Cristobal earlier this month, has resigned, according to a city spokesperson. No explanation was given. No apology has been made public. But the questions left behind are anything but quiet.
Mistaken Stop, Unmistakable Consequences
On May 5, O’Neal stopped a pickup truck in Dalton, citing an improper turn and lack of a driver’s license. The driver, Arias Cristobal, tried to explain. But it didn’t matter. Dashcam footage later captured the exchange.
She told him she had college finals coming up. She told him her family relied on her. But the Whitfield County Jail processed her anyway—and that’s where ICE came in.
Arrest That Shouldn’t Have Happened
It turns out, Arias Cristobal hadn’t even made the traffic violation she was accused of. The department later reviewed the footage and discovered the real violator was driving a similar truck.
That mistake wasn’t discovered until a full week later—on May 12. By then, Arias Cristobal had already been handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Charges were dropped, but the damage was done.
The department admitted the stop was a mistake. But for many, it felt like too little, too late.
The Fallout Begins
The resignation of Officer O’Neal followed quickly. The city of Dalton confirmed it on Saturday, May 24. They declined to give a reason, but the timing says enough.
Community advocates had already begun raising the alarm, claiming the arrest was not only unjust but harmful.
One resident, Ana Morales, who works with local immigrant families, said: “This is why our community doesn’t trust police. One wrong call and everything falls apart.”
Local groups held small vigils and circulated petitions. Social media did the rest.
The Human Toll
For Arias Cristobal and her family, it’s been a whirlwind of fear, confusion, and public attention they never asked for.
She’s a college student—undocumented, yes—but known in her community as hardworking, kind, and determined. She was studying for finals when she was arrested.
A neighbor, who asked not to be named, said she “always saw Ximena going to school or work. Never caused any trouble.”
Those close to the case say she’s traumatized.
“She thought she was just going to get a ticket,” said one family friend. “Now she’s terrified of what comes next.”
ICE’s Role in Local Arrests
Here’s where things get messy. While Georgia is not a so-called “sanctuary state,” the role of local police in immigration enforcement is increasingly controversial.
In some counties, law enforcement routinely shares arrest data with ICE—even for low-level violations.
In Whitfield County, where Arias Cristobal was held, that’s exactly what happened.
Some states limit local cooperation with ICE to protect undocumented immigrants from being detained over minor offenses. Georgia does not.
Officer’s Past Record Still Unclear
So far, Dalton police have released no further details about O’Neal’s history with the department. He was a patrol officer—not a rookie, but not a long-serving veteran either.
There’s no known pattern of misconduct, but internal reviews are usually kept quiet unless something forces them out.
• No public disciplinary record has been released.
• No lawsuits involving O’Neal have been filed, based on available court records.
• He had been with the Dalton Police Department for several years.
Transparency is still lacking, and critics say that’s part of the problem.
A Community on Edge
Dalton is a city with deep immigrant roots. Nearly half the population is Latino, and many families include undocumented members.
In communities like this, a single traffic stop can feel like a threat. And when those stops go wrong, trust erodes fast.
“We keep our heads down, we work hard, and still this happens,” said one restaurant worker near the spot where Arias Cristobal was stopped.
Her story has lit a fire—and it’s spreading. Some are calling for new local policies to protect undocumented residents from unjustified ICE detentions.
Silence from Officials, Noise from the Public
As of now, the Dalton Police Department has made no public statement beyond confirming the resignation and admitting the mistaken stop.
Mayor David Pennington has not commented. Neither has ICE.
Posts under hashtags like #JusticeForXimena and #DaltonPolice are gaining traction. And while some back the officer’s actions, many more are questioning how a wrong turn turned into a federal detention.
This isn’t just about one officer. Or one arrest.
It’s about a system that seems too quick to detain, too slow to correct, and too quiet when it’s caught in the wrong.
