AZ - Police responding to fight call discover drop house

Posted: Apr 22, 2012 10:01 AM PDT Updated: Apr 22, 2012 10:08 AM PDT
By Eric Zott
KPHO

PHOENIX (CBS 5) -

Authorities say police responding to a fight call in a Mesa neighborhood discovered a group of undocumented immigrants in a drop house instead.

Detective Steve Berry said Mesa police officers were called to the 750 block of south Drew Street about 5:20 p.m. Saturday after report of a some sort of fight or disturbance.

Berry said when officers arrived the realized it appeared they had come upon a drop house and called for additional officers. They also notified the office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Officers called for the people in the home to come out and 12 people exited the home, said Berry. "The police on scene said they felt more people were still inside so SWAT officers were called in to clear the home." said Berry.

After an extensive search officers found three more people in the attic of the home around 11 p.m., said Berry. No injuries were reported during the incident.

Berry said a total of 15 people, the youngest of which was a 13-year-old girl, were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

Police responding to fight call discover drop house - CBS 5 - KPHO

15 Illegals Apprehended in Drop House Bust

Updated: Sunday, 22 Apr 2012, 5:23 PM MST
Published : Sunday, 22 Apr 2012, 5:23 PM MST

MESA - A drop house located near Country Club and Southern was busted Saturday night.

Inside, police found 15 undocumented immigrants.

Four of them were hiding in the attic. One of them was a 13-year-old girl.

Mesa police and ICE evacuated homes nearby while they investigated.

Neighbors were shocked to learn what was happening right next door.

“Often times we receive a call for a disturbance. Could be any type of general disturbance and you get there and you find that the situation is just something completely different,” said Mesa Police Detective Steve Berry.

“I would never suspect a drop house to be over here. Just you never hear about a drop house being in this part of town,” said a neighbor.

So far, police have not found the human smugglers heading the drop house.

15 Illegals Apprehended in Drop House Bust