Thread: Three men arrested after gunfight

Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Three men arrested after gunfight
Argument over payment for transporting illegal immigrant led to shootout, Tustin police said
BY ERIKA TORRES
STAFF WRITER
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Two men are in jail, another is in the hospital and a 25-year-old woman has been turned over to Border Patrol after an altercation over money led to a shootout, police said.

Abelino Velazquez, 24, and his twin brother Avelardo dropped off an unidentified woman at Taco Bell on the 14000 block of Red Hill Avenue Saturday evening after illegally transporting her from Mexico, Tustin police Sgt. Dana Harper said.

Juan Balmaceda, who claims to be the woman's husband, was picking up the woman when a gunfight involving an AK-47 and a .22 caliber handgun ensued after the twins and Balmaceda couldn't agree on a payment for transporting the woman, Harper said.

Abelino Velazquez was shot in the leg and taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana where he has undergone surgery. It is unknown when he will be released from the hospital but police said he will be taken to Orange County Jail upon his release.

Avelardo Velazquez and Balmaceda, 28, are in Orange County Jail and the woman was turned over to Border Patrol.

"Basically what you have is a couple of coyotes transporting a person who had just crossed the border to a pick-up point. Everybody was shooting at everybody and (Abelino) got hit by someone," Harper said.

Police shut down Red Hill Avenue from the 5 freeway to Mitchell Street until 5:30 a.m. Sunday to work the crime scene.

Harper said the incident is still under investigation and added there will be a lot of analysis of the evidence, including bullet casings and bullet trajectories. "It's going to be a complicated investigation," he said.


Contact the writer: 949-553-2918 or etorres@ocregister.com
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An AK-47? Mexico's violence is spilling over the border. Americans are in danger. All the more reason to CLOSE THE G D BORDER NOW GEORGE.

Tustin was a wonderful area at one time. This is precisely what the illegal invasion has done to thousands of towns and cities. Why don't the idiots we elect see this!!! They all need to move to D.C. and do this in politicians backyards!

the bean pickers are running a muck