Escapee leads Phoenix police to drop house, 10 others found
Reported by: Katrina Wessman
Email: kwessman@abc15.com
Last Update: 7/22 6:59 pm

Slideshow (John Pellizzari) Click the play button on the video window to the right to see the story

Phoenix police discovered 10 undocumented immigrants on Tuesday afternoon after an escapee reported a drop house to officers.

A Hispanic male contacted police just after 1 p.m. and reported that he had been held against his will at gunpoint and was beaten at a nearby drop house near Campbell and 111th Lane.

The man also told officers that there were additional people being held within the home and brought officers to the residence where the window screen had been broken.

As officers arrived at the scene, they discovered a bound man who had also escaped from the home.

Officers called Illegal Immigration Prevention & Apprehension Co-op Team Detectives who arrived at the scene to discover nine suspected undocumented immigrants, eight males and one female, who were all bound inside the home.

Two suspected human smugglers fled the scene before detective arrived, according to police.

Investigators say the victims told them that they had crossed the border into Arizona on July 12th and were taken to the house where they have been held.

They also told investigators that the smugglers demanded $3,200 from each of them to secure their freedom.

Neighbors told ABC15 that the home was a foreclosure that had recently been sold.

Police say that two other drop houses have been discovered in the same neighborhood within the past few weeks.

Copyright 2008 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


http://www.abc15.com/news/state/story.a ... 580ca1ef72