Murder suspect discovered amid load of undocumented migrants
Man wanted on warrant out of Orange County, California
PLASTER CITY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents say they took a wanted, and presumably dangerous, criminal into custody Monday afternoon when they intercepted a smuggling attempt.
Agents say just before 4 on Monday they started following a suspicious Chevy Silverado as it headed westbound along Even Hewes Road in El Centro. They say they saw several people in the truck's bed try to hide themselves from view.
Agents say they signaled for the truck to stop, but the driver took off, heading north on a road normally reserved for off-road vehicles. Border Patrol says the driver eventually got stuck near Superstition Mountain. Agents say the driver and all nine passengers tried to escape on foot.
Agents say they managed to round up the entire group and take them back into El Centro for processing. That's when they discovered a 26-year-old man in the group had an active warrant for murder of out Orange County. The Costa Mesa Police Department will extradite the man back to that area for prosecution.
The truck's driver was taken into federal custody pending prosecution for human smuggling. The remaining individuals, seven men from Mexico, and one man from Guatemala, will all be expelled back into Mexico.
