Thread: OH: Four aliens are arrested in Bellaire

Four aliens are arrested in Bellaire

By MICHAEL SCHULER, Times Leader Staff Writer

Apr 27, 2007

A GROUP of Mexicans who were working on a building in Bellaire were arrested Monday after it was learned they were in the country illegally.

The arrests came around 1:24 p.m. after village officials were notified that their was a group of men installing a roof on a building at 3228 Monroe St.

At that time, village Code Enforcer Mike Clark, along with deputy Code Enforcer Russ Burkhart, went to the site after receiving a complaint that the workers did not have building permits or a contractor’s license.

However, once at the scene none of the men working at the site, six in total, could speak English.

According to Bellaire Police Chief Michael P. Kovalyk, Officer Rusty Cunningham then went to the residence where the six men were working, but when he asked them for identification, only two of the men had driver’s licenses.

Kovalyk, along with Cunningham, then transported the four men to the police station and Village Administrator Rebecca Zwack was contacted to interpret for the suspects and the police.

While at the police station, immigration services was contacted where it was determined the four men were in the United States illegally. According to Kovalyk, the other two men “checked out.”

“As soon as I left the building to go up there, I asked Rebecca be contacted because I knew she speaks Spanish,” Kovalyk said. “She did all the translating. I especially want to thank her for that. As soon as I heard it was Hispanics who spoke very little English, I recalled that Rebecca did teach Spanish at St. John Grade School and that she taught Spanish at the college level. And without her, it wouldn’t have gone as smoothly as it did. I am very grateful for her help.”

The four men that were detained were Felipe Mayao Espino, 31, Justo Cruz Santiago, 30, Ignacio Barqueras Rodriquez, 36, and Obispo Gonzalez, 20.

“Everyone concerned cooperated with our officers and with INS,” Kovalyk said. “It’s just that we believe we’d rather have Americans doing the work here than people coming into our country illegally. And all though it was a small job, it was taking jobs away from Americans.”

All of the men were reportedly staying in the Columbus area and were working for a company called Cardinal Roofing.

The four suspects were transported to the Belmont County Jail and are to be turned over to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service sometime today for deportation, Kovalyk said.

The other two men are reported to be living in the United States legally.

The owners of the company were also contacted and instructed to obtain the proper building permits from the mayor’s office, Kovalyk said.


http://www.timesleaderonline.com/news/a ... cleID=6821

it was determined the four men were in the United States illegally. According to Kovalyk, the other two men “checked out.” checked out but could not speak english I say if your hear on any kind of temp work and your from a nother country you dont get to stay or come back ever if youharrbor illegals

I would not be surrprised if those two men didnt check out but the numbers they ran on them is what checked out.



three cheers for the peopl of Bellaire