Vista father of five dies in Arizona desert after being deported
EXCLUSIVE: Vista father of five dies in Arizona desert after being deported
1 hour ago • By EDWARD SIFUENTES esifuentes@nctimes.com
A Vista man died along the U.S. border with Mexico last month trying to return to his family after being deported.
The body of Alfonso Martinez Sanchez, 39, was found on the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation, his family and authorities said. The reservation stretches along the Arizona border and is a frequent route for thousands of migrants attempting to cross the border illegally. It is an unforgiving environment, part of the Sonoran desert, where temperatures can often soar to more than 100 degrees.
Martinez was trying to return to his wife and five U.S.-born children, ages 5 to 18, said Juana Garcia Martinez, his wife. Martinez was the main bread winner and now the family is struggling to make ends meet, she said.
"He knew that we needed him," Garcia said. "He wanted to be here."
More than 1,000 illegal immigrants have been deported from North County by immigration authorities in collaboration with local law enforcement agencies, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Most of them, 819, were arrested in Escondido through a police-ICE partnership dubbed Operation Joint Effort. The rest were arrested in other areas of North County.
Each year, more than 200 people are found dead in the Arizona desert, according to officials.
At least 249 people believed to be illegal immigrants died in 2010 in southern Arizona, according to data compiled by the Arizona Daily Star from medical examiners and other official sources.
The number of dead has steadily increased in Arizona as security tightened in other parts of the country, including San Diego County.
Arrested and deported
Vista sheriff's Lt. John Maryon said an officer encountered Martinez at the Holiday Liquor Market in Vista on March 1. The lieutenant said the deputy went to the store to deliver a letter regarding new synthetic drug regulations.
Martinez signed for the letter as an employee of the store, the lieutenant said, and the deputy asked to see his ID. The deputy called Border Patrol when Martinez showed a matricula consular, a Mexican ID card, Maryon said.
According to the family, Martinez had gone to the store to buy milk. The store clerk, a friend of Martinez, asked whether Martinez could mind the store while he dealt with an emergency, Garcia said.
When the deputy arrived to deliver the letter, Martinez signed for it, Garcia said.
Martinez was turned over to the Border Patrol, taken to the agency's station in San Clemente and was later deported to Tijuana. He tried several times to cross the border illegally back into the United States, but failed and was arrested.
Last attempt
On the afternoon of April 20, a Friday, Martinez began his fatal journey trying to return to his wife and children. He agreed to pay a "coyote," a smuggler, more than $3,000 to help him cross the border through Arizona. He paid $250 worth of Mexican pesos before the trip and agreed to pay $2,900 when he arrived in the U.S., his wife said.
After a full day of walking through the desert, Martinez began to feel sick and fell behind. The group of about 20 people, including the smuggler, kept going.
One man, Isaac Jimenez Hernandez, tried to help, Garcia said. Jimenez asked the smuggler to wait, but he didn't, and the group left Martinez behind, Garcia said.
Jimenez found a cellphone in Martinez's pocket and tried to call 911 but there was no signal, Garcia said. He walked two hours before he was able to find a cell signal and call for help.
When Border Patrol agents arrived, they arrested Jimenez, Garcia said. He told them that there was a sick man and offered to lead them back to him but they did not. They told him that other agents would look for him, Garcia said.
Two days later, when Jimenez was released in Mexicali, Mexico, he called Martinez's family and told them the story.
In a corner of their small Vista apartment, the Martinez family built a memorial with a large photo of Martinez on a table with flowers and candles.
Martinez came to the United States from his native San Luis Potosi in central Mexico more than 20 years ago. He worked at a Vista supermarket as a butcher for many years before he was laid off two years ago because of his immigration status, Garcia said.
"He was a good man," Garcia said. "A hard worker. He never hurt anybody."
Body still not identified
Days after he was released in Mexico, Jimenez was asked by the Border Patrol to help them locate Martinez's body, Garcia said. On April 26, Jimenez led them to the body, at the base of a mountain on the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation.
The body was in an advanced stage of decomposition, said Dr. Greg Hess, chief medical examiner of the Pima County Forensic Science Center in Tucson, Ariz. The body was recovered by the Tohono O'odham Police Department on April 27, Hess said.
A wallet found on the body had no photo IDs or other documents to help identify the body. Medical examiners were unable to get proper fingerprints because of the condition of the body.
Hess said his office is working with the Martinez family and the Mexican Consulate to help positively identify the body.
The cause of death was determined to be hypothermia due to exposure to the elements, Hess said.
Last week, the Vista Community Townsite Partnership held a fundraiser to help the Martinezes gather the $10,000 they need to claim and transport the body to Vista.
To help the family, people can make donations at Wells Fargo, account number 7362219151.
EXCLUSIVE: Vista father of five dies in Arizona desert after being deported : Vista
