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Arpaio aide is loyal listener to Spanish show

Aug. 30, 2006 12:00 AM


For the past six weeks, a Maricopa County Sheriff's Office deputy has been monitoring a Spanish-language radio show for threats on Sheriff Joe Arpaio's life.

None has been heard, but the daily recording of the 740 AM morning show hosted by Elias Bermudez, an immigrant rights activist, continues. More than 45 hours of the show are stored on two dozen cassette tapes.

The monitoring started, the Sheriff's Office says, after a tip from Bermudez. The host told the Sheriff's Office that a caller claimed a Mexican hit man had been hired to kill Arpaio.

Bermudez said he would tell Arpaio's office about any such calls. But there hasn't been any since.

Bermudez said he couldn't give the Sheriff's Office the phone number of the caller because the station doesn't have the equipment to track calls.

Arpaio is mentioned frequently on the show, Bermudez said. People say they wish Arpaio would drop dead or had never been born. But mostly they talk of getting him out of office and ridicule Bermudez for a stunt in July, when the activist got on his knees and begged Arpaio to stop arresting undocumented immigrants on smuggling charges.

That day, Arpaio asked Bermudez whether his statements were a threat.

Bermudez said he hopes the Sheriff's Office will learn something by listening - not about death threats, but about the immigrant community.

That's unlikely. The only benefit to Bermudez would be if the deputy paid to monitor his show has a ratings book.



Reach Ruelas at (602) 444-8473 or richard.ruelas@arizonarepublic.com.