Thread: Man found in ductwork gets probation, must leave U.S

Man found in ductwork gets probation, must leave U.S.
Brent Whiting
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 11, 2007 08:41 AM

His burglary arrest by Glendale police spurred this newspaper headline, "Stuck cluck is plucked from duct."

He is Luis Velazquez-Lopez, 30, an inebriated suspect who was rescued then jailed March 27 after he was found stuck in the air-conditioning ductwork of a Glendale supermarket.

Earlier this month, Velazquez-Lopez was placed on three years' probation after pleading guilty to a charge of solicitation to commit burglary.





A Superior Court judge also directed that the defendant, an undocumented immigrant, must leave the United States, whether through deportation or voluntary departure.

Glendale police said Velazquez-Lopez, who was wearing rubber gloves but no shirt, got stuck after climbing to the roof of the Food City supermarket, 59th Avenue and Bethany Home Road.

From there, the defendant managed to gain access to a duct and dove inside head-first, falling about 17 feet before he got stuck, said Officer Matt Barnett, a police spokesman.

Police believe he was trapped inside the ductwork for six or seven hours before Food City workers spotted debris on the floor, he said. Then they looked up and saw a finger sticking through the vent.

Velazquez-Lopez, who doesn't speak English, was obviously intoxicated, Barnett said. Firefighters rescued him by pulling him to the roof.

"His only statement was something to the effect, "How did I get there?'" Barnett said.

He was given medical care then booked in a Maricopa County jail on charges of burglary and trespassing.



Reach the reporter at brent.whiting@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-6937


http://www.azcentral.com/community/glen ... 11-ON.html
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Velazquez-Lopez, who doesn't speak English, was obviously intoxicated, Barnett said. Firefighters rescued him by pulling him to the roof. "His only statement was something to the effect, "How did I get there?'" Barnett said.

http://www.the3stooges.net/members/1234 ... becile.wav

This is nothing more than a Get Out of Jail Free card. He'll get back to Glendale before the car that transports him to the border makes it back - and probably with a shiny new name. I'm sure that any American citizen who is arrested for burglary would take an offer to just leave town for a few days rather than standing trial and suffering a jail sentence.