Border Patrol agents save injured woman from sexual assault

Aerial unit spotted crime and drove off attacker - Mexican officials move in to make arrest

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents, members of Yuma Sector's Air and Marine Operations (AMO) branch teamed, and Mexican law enforcement teamed up to save a woman from sexual assault and arrest her accused attacker.

The Yuma Air Branch crew was conducting an aerial patrol by helicopter around 8 Monday morning when it spotted a woman being raped on the Mexico side of the border about 12-miles east of Calexico. The aircrew used its loudspeaker and siren to scare off the man seen assaulting her.

Air agents called in the incident to the Calexico Station, then landed to render immediate aid to the victim. They say she had a noticeable head wound and claimed to also have a gunshot wound. Agents from both the air crew and Calexico provided the woman with medical care until paramedics arrived. They took her to a hospital in Mexicali.

In the meantime, Mexican law enforcement arrested the man seen fleeing the scene.

“This is an excellent example of the type of good work that can be done through strong partnerships and the availability of AMO and Border Patrol Agents actively patrolling our Nation’s borders”, said James Schuetzler, the Director of the Yuma Air Branch. “That combined with mature working relationships with our Mexican law enforcement partners, help stop what was heading toward a very ugly outcome. We could not have done this without strong support from all of our partners.”