Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Fund-raiser to be held for slain U.S. border patrol agent
The fund-raiser is part of San Juan Capistrano's Tea Party at 11 a.m. Sep 12.
BY CINDY CARCAMO
The Orange County Register
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SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO Anti-illegal immigration groups plan to hold a fund-raiser for a U.S. Border Patrol agent who was killed in Campo earlier this summer.

The fund-raiser for Agent Robert Rosas is part of the San Juan Capistrano Tea Party scheduled to take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sep. 12 at the Cook-La Novia Park at 31611 La Novia.

The fund-raiser goes to benefit Rosas' family, event coordinators said.

Tawnya Wojciechowski, a San Juan Capistrano resident who is coordinating the Tea Party, said Britt Craig is helping coordinate Rosas' fund-raiser and moment of silence.

Craig, a 60-year-old who splits his time between his Mission Viejo home and the Campo border, is possibly the only civilian to have witnessed Rosas' fatal shooting on July 23.

Craig, who has spent at least 96 hours a week at Campo since 2005, has said he heard gunshots on the night of Rosas' killing but couldn't see anything because of the rolling hills.

Border Patrol agents said they could not confirm Craig's story, but the FBI is investigating the fatal shooting. The FBI did not return calls for comment.

Mexican officials told The Associated Press that they have detained five men in connection with the case.

Mexican officials also told the news service that Ernesto Parra Valenzuela, 36, had a 9mm pistol when he was captured walking alone near the scene of the shooting. They told AP that Parra admitted he was a migrant smuggler when local police found him about five hours after the shooting, but he denied any involvement with Rosas' death.

However, FBI officials who are leading the investigation have not publicly identified any suspects.

Folks who attend the fund-raiser are asked to bring U.S. flags and "stop illegal immigration" signs.

The fundraiser consists of a raffle where several area businesses have donated prizes.

Some of these prizes include four signed copies of a book authored by Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist, said Craig's wife Deborah Craig.

"100 percent of the raffle proceeded will be donated to the Rosas Family," she said. "Britt Craig will hand carry the cards and donations to Border Agent Robert Dominguez who will give them to the family."

Wojciechowski said she expects at least 1,000 people to attend Saturday's San Juan Capistrano Tea Party which is in conjunction with other tea parties across the nation and Glenn Beck's 9-12 Project in Washington DC the same day.

The project asks for smaller government and less spending, among other demands.

Orange County Assemblyman Chuck Devore, Assemblyman hopeful Shawn Black and former Orange County Sheriff Lt. Bill Hunt are expected to speak at the event.

www.ocregister.com