Thread: CA-Illegals rounded up

Illegals rounded up

Home held 29; suspects arrested

Antelope Valley Press
Thursday, July 9, 2009.
By DAISY RATZLAFF
Valley Press Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Twenty-nine illegal immigrants who had been kept locked in the upstairs bedrooms of an east Palmdale tract house were taken into custody Wednesday after a man who had been ransomed by his family several days earlier called 911 and reported that more people were being held captive in the house.

Two men and a woman, believed to be part of the smuggling group that brought the immigrants to the house, fled when sheriff's deputies arrived, but were quickly arrested after a short foot pursuit, sheriff's officials said.

"They were upstairs in different rooms, 12 or so in one room. Each door was secured either by a security screen or by the door being locked," Palmdale Sheriff's Station Sgt. Vince Burton said. "It is basically like a prison and the suspects - caretakers or guards, whatever you want to call them - took turns to guard them."

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were called out to take custody of the immigrants, who ranged in age from 12 to 44. Because the people said they had not eaten for a day, deputies bought them sport drink bottles, water, chips, pastries and other snacks at a convenience store.

Besides giving the immigrants food, deputies also let them pick a new set of clothing - shoes, pants and a shirt for each - from a downstairs room they found packed with fake designer clothes. Deputies said one of the suspects apparently sold the clothes as a business.

The immigrants were still being questioned by ICE agents at the house in early evening. They were expected to be bused to a detention center.

The smuggling-suspects' names were not released.

The man who called 911 placed the call about 2 p.m. and told officials that he was released from the residence when his family paid the money demanded by the smugglers. During the phone call, the man also told deputies he wasn't the only person who was being held against his will there.

"What happens is, they get a group of 20 to 30 people together and sneak them across the border. Once they bring them into America, they will hold them at the home until the family comes up with whatever they are asking for," said Deputy Robbie Royster, spokesman for the Palmdale Sheriff's Station.

Inside the house, deputies said they found a book containing evidence that the people were being held for $3,000 to $4,000 each. Royster added that all 29 are believed to have been smuggled into the United States from Mexico.

When deputies knocked on the front door, no one answered. Deputies then walked around the property to a side gate, which was chained and locked. Using a bolt cutter, they entered the back yard and found a woman there. While deputies talked to her, two men ran from the house but were quickly caught, officials said.

Inside the residence, deputies said they found the immigrants in four upstairs bedrooms, each about 10-by-10 feet. Plastic lattice and dark fabric were nailed over the bedroom windows, as well as over the air-conditioning vents, and a metal security door had been installed across the entrance to the upstairs hallway.

Each bedroom had a television set. Two rooms were empty except for the immigrants' belongings, and one had a mattress and the other two beds and a stand for the television.

The suspects lived downstairs in furnished rooms, deputies said.

"Some of the people have been here for days, weeks and others more recently," Royster said. "Some of the individuals arrived here as early as today."

dratzlaff@avpress.com

http://www.avpress.com/n/09/0709_s2.hts

Hello??? They put themselves in that position by PAYING smugglers to sneak them in here! They should also be charged with human smuggling and deported!!!!

Besides giving the immigrants food, deputies also let them pick a new set of clothing - shoes, pants and a shirt for each - from a downstairs room they found packed with fake designer clothes. Deputies said one of the suspects apparently sold the clothes as a business.

At least they'll be well dressed when they are deported.