Thread: AZ - 5 Illegal Immigrants Arrested after Traffic Stop

Updated: Monday, 20 Feb 2012, 2:48 PM MST
Published : Monday, 20 Feb 2012, 2:48 PM MST


Leodan Velasquez

MESA - Five people who fled during a traffic stop have been taken into custody.

Sunday evening, a Mesa Police Officer observed a minivan leave a private driveway and make several traffic violations.

As he initiated a traffic stop, the front seat occupants bailed out of the van and took off running. The officer started chasing one of the suspects and several other officers responded. They started chasing several other vehicle occupants that fled on foot.

Police say one of the suspects, Leodan Velasquez (see photo), ran onto Southern Ave into traffic and began dodging cars and weaving back and forth between the lanes. He nearly caused several traffic collisions.

Officers eventually deployed a Taser and Velasquez fell to the ground, striking his nose. Velasquez was booked into jail for obstructing a thoroughfare and also has an ICE hold. He is an undocumented immigrant.

An additional four undocumented immigrants were located and detained. They were turned over to ICE.

The suspects admitted they had illegal crossed into the United States a few days ago and had been housed in several locations in Mesa. On Sunday, they were heading to another state.

The two other people in the van that were never caught were determined to be coyotes.

5 Illegal Immigrants Arrested after Traffic Stop

Mesa police catch suspected illegal immigrants after chase
Posted: Feb 20, 2012 10:04 AM PST Updated: Feb 20, 2012 10:07 AM PST
By Steve Stout

MESA, AZ (CBS5) -

An undocumented immigrant led Mesa police on a wild foot chase Sunday after a van carrying eight suspected illegal immigrants was stopped.

A Mesa police report stated that the van was stopped in a convenience store parking lot on Southern Avenue after the driver committed several traffic violations. The driver and a passenger in the front seat then fled on foot from the 2000 Honda Odyssey minivan.

As other officers arrived, more passengers were seen trying to run, including a man who darted into traffic on a busy Southern Avenue.

Officers said Leodan Velasquez had to be subdued by using a Taser after he ran weaving in and out of traffic across the median and into the high-speed lanes of east and westbound Southern.

Five of eight occupants of the van were caught, police said. Four were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Velasquez was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries and booked into jailed on a charge of obstructing a thoroughfare.

Police said some of those caught said they had been staying at various locations in Mesa and were being taken to other states.

The driver and a front-seat passenger, who were among the three who eluded officers, were believed to be the "coyotes" trafficking the immigrants.

Mesa police catch suspected illegal immigrants after chase - CBS 5 - KPHO