Thread: 3 men arrested at border in fatal '09 shooting of girl

3 men arrested at border in fatal '09 shooting of girl

Jamar Younger
Arizona Daily Star
January 30, 2011 12:00 am

Three men linked to the shooting death of a 15-year-old girl in August 2009 were arrested Saturday at the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, police said.

Christian Betza Vasquez, 26; Orel S. Vasquez, 20; and Juan Carlos Leon, 29, surrendered to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, a Tucson Police Department news release said.

The three were sought in the shooting death of Brenda Arenas, police said.

The men were booked into the Santa Cruz County jail and will likely be extradited to Tucson early this week, the news release said.

Brenda Arenas was shot by one of at least six assailants who were fleeing a home invasion in the 6100 block of South Southland Boulevard, near South Park Avenue and Drexel Road.

She was riding in a car with her mother and 3-year-old sister when a man fired through the passenger window, Tucson police said at the time.

The men, who were searching for money and drugs, realized they had broken into the wrong house and were escaping, police said.

Brenda and her mother had just dropped off Brenda's boyfriend, who lived in the neighborhood, when the shooting occurred, the family said. Brenda was killed about a week before she was going to have her quinceañera celebration.

Her mother, Esmeralda López, was injured by flying glass after the bullet shattered the car's window.

A few months later, Lopez spoke at a town-hall meeting sponsored by the Sunnyside Unified School District addressing violence.

"I want the animals who did this to know they have changed my life forever," she said at the time. "When somebody commits a violent act, it doesn't end with the act."

On StarNet: Find an interactive map of reported crimes in the city of Tucson, updated every morning with the previous day's data, at go.azstarnet.com/crime

Contact reporter Jamar Younger at jyounger@azstarnet.com or call 573-4115.

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/a ... c32d4.html

Related: http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-226440.html

Wonderful news! Keep up the good work U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers!! With those offenders behind bars, more lives will be saved.

Related:


Arrests made in murder case of 15 year old Tucson girl
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-226440.html

Suspects in Arenas killing surrender, and speak with KGUN9
http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-1178018.html