Men, women pay $5,000 each for U-Haul ride to Phoenix

Submitted

July 8, 2013 - 4:36 pm



Authorities investigate a U-Haul parked Sunday at a travel center about 5 miles southeast of Eloy. The vehicle was carrying men and women who entered the country illegally. Submitted photo.View Gallery
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A group of men and women who entered the country illegally told Pinal County Sheriff’s deputies Sunday they each paid $5,000 for a ride inside a U-Haul truck from the border to Phoenix.

A person spotted the U-Haul truck at a travel center about five miles southeast of Eloy and called 911 after observing several people in the back of the truck who appeared to need medical attention, according to a sheriff’s office press release. Deputies who arrived at the scene found the men and women standing, sitting and lying near or inside the truck. They told authorities there were about 14 to 20 people who had been in the truck.

Eight were found at the scene and witnesses told deputies they saw five or six others walking east into the desert. U.S. Border Patrol officials assisted in locating the individuals who walked into the desert. They were later found and taken to the Casa Grande Border Patrol station to be interviewed.

Authorities learned each person in the back of the U-Haul paid $5,000 to be taken from the border city of Douglas to Phoenix. A man drove the vehicle while a woman rode in the front-passenger seat.During the drive, many in the U-Haul became dehydrated and overheated. Some of them suffered from vomiting, loss of bowel control and unconsciousness. Two people were airlifted to a hospital and six were taken to hospitals by ambulance.
http://www.inmaricopa.com/Article/20...u-haul-phoenix