Deputy Discovers Suspected Drop House On His Block

POSTED: 8:49 pm PDT September 21, 2007
UPDATED: 12:03 pm PDT September 22, 2007

PHOENIX -- Illegal immigrants fleeing a suspected drop house landed on the doorstep of an off-duty deputy injured and bleeding in their attempts to escape from their smugglers, Phoenix police said.

# VIDEO: 12-Year-Old Coyote Sought In Suspected Drop House Incident
http://www.kpho.com/video/14179583/index.html

"About 15 people started running to my house bleeding and asking for help in Spanish," said Oscar Navarro.

Navarro said he lives just two houses over from the suspected drop house in a west Phoenix neighborhood.

He said he saw some of the people bleeding from the head.

"So my reaction was to get help right away and call the fire department and the police department in case the coyotes came around the corner shooting," he said.

Fearing for his own life, Navarro said he tried to calm the men down. Instead, most of them took of running.

When officers arrived Friday evening, the search began for five coyotes and 15 undocumented immigrants.

"They told us they were brought from Nogales," Phoenix police detective Stacie Derge said.

"Some were being held at gunpoint that had already paid and others who had not paid were being held and handcuffed," according to Derge.

One of the smugglers is only 12-years-old, according to authorities.

Police arrested at least six people.

Two people covered their faces as police escorted them out of the house.

Navarro said the suspected drop house in his own neighborhood near 94th Avenue and McDowell Road came as a shock.

"I've never seen any major traffic or movement whatsoever and I've been here a little over a year," he said.

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