3 illegals arrested after assault; Took Hereford residents' vehicle during incident
Herald/Review
HEREFORD - Illegal immigrants who allegedly carjacked a vehicle and beat a woman and her daughter Thursday morning were caught by U.S. Border Patrol agents and turned over to the Cochise County Sheriff's Department.
A 35-year-old woman and her 14-year-old daughter came out of their residence at the 5000 block of Ricardo Drive and got into their vehicle when they were approached by three men shortly after 6 a.m. Thursday, said Carol Capas, a Sheriff Department's spokeswoman.
One of the men opened the driver's side door and pulled the woman from inside "while striking her with his hand and threatening her with an ink pen," Capas said. The woman said she was then thrown to the ground when a second person struck her daughter in the face while pulling her from the vehicle.
The woman was on the way to take her daughter to school when the incident happened, Capas said. Fry Fire Department medics responded to the scene and treated both victims for minor cuts and abrasions.
The three men drove off in the vehicle and a call went out for help, including to the U.S. Border Patrol, she said.
U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Sector's spokesman Rob Daniels said agents got involved about 6:30 a.m. when they were told by the Sheriff's Department that a trio of men reportedly took a 1999 gray Chevrolet Suburban from a Hereford area residence.
The Sheriff's Department told agents they were looking for three Hispanic men who stole a vehicle and were last seen driving eastbound to Highway 92, Daniels said.
The vehicle was spotted on Highway 92 soon after in the Palominas area. Agents from the Naco Station attempted to stop the Suburban. The driver of the Chevrolet attempted to lose the agents "during a high-speed pursuit," Daniels said.
The vehicle eventually stopped off the highway near milepost 346, and agents saw the three men get out of the Suburban and flee on foot.
A Loris Scope, a piece of night-vision equipment, was near the scene, and the agent using it helped direct agents to where the three men were hiding, Daniels said. A Loris Scope is an infrared camera mounted on an extendable boom on a truck that a single agent operates.
After being apprehended, the three men were taken to the Naco Station and interviewed by sheriff's deputies, Daniels said.
Two of the men were from the Mexican state of Sinaola. The other is from the state of Jalisco. The men, who were 19, 22 and 23 years old, entered the United States illegally, Daniels said.
The men were turned over to the sheriff's deputies. They also are being held on an immigration hold pending federal charges.
Capas said the men are in custody of the Sheriff's Department pending several charges against them.
Sheriff Larry Dever is advising county residents to exercise care due to the increase of illegal immigrant activity in residential areas.
"I remind everyone to be alert and aware of your surroundings to help minimize the danger of being taken by surprise. Always drive with your doors locked and don't stop to pick up strangers," Dever said.
Any suspicious activity needs to be reported immediately to the Sheriff's Department or local police agency, he added.
http://sierratimes.com/04/02/02/ap_illegal_assualt.htm
