Burglary results in kidnapping; three undocumented immigrants arrested

Judge Trevor Ward of Justice Court No. 4 in Willcox holds an initial appearance for Natalio Valenzuela-Valdez by video, with Karla Hansen interpreting, on Tuesday morning. (Ainslee Wittig/ARN)
By Ainslee S. Wittig/Arizona Range News
Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 12:16 PM CST
Three Mexican men were in custody Thursday afternoon, in connection with the woman held against her will in Pearce a day earlier.

A 58-year-old Pearce woman was grabbed by the arm, pulled inside her guesthouse and held against her will Wednesday, Dec. 4, officials at the Cochise County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.

The Cochise County Sheriff's Office said the men were each being held on charges of burglary while armed with a deadly weapon; intent to commit a theft, entering and remaining in a residential structure while knowingly possessing an armed .270 hunting rifle; robbery armed with a .270 hunting rifle; and kidnapping

They were identified by the Sheriff's Office as:

? Alejandrino Lara-Silva, 19, of Puebla, Mexico

? Natalio Valenzuela-Valdez, 41, of Alamos, Mexico

? Yerco Fernando Vedovich-Arrballo, 18, of Las Manchez, Sinaloa, Mexico.

Silva received an additional charge of aggravated assault using a .270 hunting rifle; and robbery while aided with one or more accomplices present.

Valenzuela-Valdez and Vedovich-Arrballo were also each charged with "you or an accomplice robbed (the victim) while aided by one or more accomplices actually present."

No bond was allowed by the court for the three men, as the court determined they were undocumented immigrants, said Judge Trevor Ward of the Justice Court No. 4, where the men received their initial appearances via video from Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m.

All will receive indigent counsel, as each said they could not afford an attorney. Ward said they would each have a preliminary hearing on Friday, Dec. 21 if in custody, and Monday, Dec. 31 if not in custody.

At about 6 p.m., the Cochise County Sheriff's Office was advised of a female subject who reported being held against her will in the 8800 block of Goforth Lane in Pearce.

Sheriff's deputies spoke to the victim, who is the property owner. She said she went to her guesthouse in the 8800 block of Goforth Lane and upon arrival heard a noise from inside of the home. She reached inside the door to turn on a light, and was grabbed by the arm and pulled inside, said Carol Capas, spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office.

The victim told deputies that there were three Hispanic male subjects inside the home, and one was armed with a rifle.

The victim said she was told to "shut up" as was tied with a rope at the wrists and ankles before being locked in the bathroom. The victim advised that she did not hear the suspects leave the house, and she was able to untie the rope about a half hour later and run to the neighbor's property for help, Capas said.

Sheriff's deputies along with U.S. Border Patrol ground agents, members of their Special Response Team, and air support searched the area around the home before locating foot tracks south of Highway 181. U.S. Border Patrol units continued the search throughout the evening and resumed Thursday until the suspects were apprehended, Capas said.

"Not to minimize the work done by everyone involved, but not enough can be said about the work and commitment by the Border Patrol agents who captured these men," said Sheriff Larry Dever in a news release Thursday night. "They dug in early, put their noses to the ground and refused to quit.

"The bad guys almost surely would have gotten away and possibly committed other crimes without this tremendous effort," he added.

Capas said the victim did not require medical attention and there were no items missing from the residence.

A Sunizona neighbor, Annette Pock, said she is not afraid, but "we do need to be cautious and aware."

"This is an incident that shows the seriousness of the illegal (immigration) situation in the area. Until someone gets hurt, these incidents just get ignored," she said.

Another neighbor agreed.

Cindy Lewis of Pearce said, "My next-door neighbor yesterday was bound and gagged and threatened with guns by illegals. The guns were stolen from a house a few miles away, and drugs were involved also. I live in Cochise County, Arizona, 40 miles north of the border. This neighborhood is scared and we don't know what to do. What are we supposed to do? My husband and I are going to carry guns with us from now on when we come and go," Lewis said.

Another possibly related incident occurred earlier in the morning on Dec. 5.

A man went to a home he owned on Highway 181 near the road toward the Chiricahua National Monument,and discovered five Hispanic males inside the home taking firearms. He called the U.S. Border Patrol and was able to detain one subject outside, but let him go, prior to the Border Patrol agents' arrival, Capas said.

She said the suspects entered the home by breaking a bedroom window, and three firearms were reported stolen.

She said the Border Patrol again apprehended the subject and turned him over to Sheriff's deputies.

Alberto Jimenez Garcia, 36, with an address of "general delivery, Willcox", was booked into the Willcox jail, she said, and some property was recovered.

Garcia was charge with second-degree burglary, criminal damage and theft. He will be held with no bond as he is an undocumented immigrant.

The investigation into both incidents is being continued by the Cochise County Sheriff's Office with the assistance of the U.S. Border Patrol.

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