http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... 10-ON.html

Man struck by Border Patrol truck arrested in death of daughter

Associated Press
Mar. 10, 2006 07:15 AM


DATELAND - An undocumented immigrant was arrested Wednesday on charges of child endangerment for an incident in which he and his daughter were run over by a Border Patrol vehicle, killing the 12-year-old girl.

Juan Cruz-Torralva, 26, of Juxtlahuac, Oaxaca, Mexico, was hospitalized for three days following Sunday evening's incident, which happened in the desert about 10 miles southeast of Dateland, said Major Leon Wilmot of the Yuma County Sheriff's Office.

Cruz-Torralva and his daughter were apparently hiding in the brush when a Border Patrol agent in an SUV searching for illegal immigrants inadvertently ran them over, the Border Patrol said Tuesday in a statement.

The daughter, Lourdes Cruz-Moralas, also of Juxtlahuac, died at the scene.

Cruz-Torralva was released from the hospital Wednesday night, and arrested after being interviewed by sheriff's detectives, Wilmot said.

The questioning "revealed that the suspect knew of the dangers of crossing the desert with the juvenile," Wilmot said. "I as a father would not want to put my child through that environment."

Cruz-Torralva was being held at the Yuma County jail.