Thread: Wal-Mart halts construction after two illegal workers charge

http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?pa ... =D8DA3AR01

Two men charged with molestation after two girls found safe

The Associated Press - Monday, October 17, 2005
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BISMARCK, N.D.

Two illegal immigrants have been charged here with molesting two 13-year-old Belcourt girls, who were missing for nearly three days.

Julio Alvarez, 21, and Carlos Martinez, 30, both Mexican nationals, were charged on Monday with gross sexual imposition in South Central District Court, Burleigh County prosecutor Brandi Sasse Russell said.

The men are being held without bond in the Burleigh County jail, Russell said.

The two girls were found uninjured in Bismarck on Sunday. Their disappearance prompted an Amber Alert, a way for authorities to quickly inform the public through the media that a child is missing and might be in danger.

The teens were last seen at Bismarck's Kirkwood Mall about 6 p.m. Thursday, talking to two men.

Authorities said Saturday that the men might have lured the girls to the mall over the Internet, but they said Monday they had discounted the Internet theory.

"It's looking more like a chance meeting - and went from there," Russell said. "We have evidence that they had sex with these girls."

The men had been working on a new Wal-Mart under construction in south Bismarck, Russell said. The men had been staying in a local motel.

The girls were found in a vehicle on Sunday afternoon, Russell said.

Russell said the men also were being investigated by immigration officials. Russell said Martinez does not speak English.

The Class AA felony charge carries a maximum punishment of life in prison and a $10,000 fine, Russell said.

One of the girls has been released to her parents, and the other is being held in a juvenile detention center in Mandan, for a reason police would not discuss. Police said both girls face runaway charges.

The men had been working on a new Wal-Mart under construction in south Bismarck, Russell said. The men had been staying in a local motel.

I wonder if Wally will be in trouble for hiring this scum.

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandfork ... 936068.htm

Posted on Tue, Oct. 18, 2005

Wal-Mart halts construction after two illegal workers charged

JAMES MacPHERSON

Associated Press


BISMARCK, N.D. - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. temporarily halted construction of a Supercenter and Sam's Club here, a day after two illegal immigrants working on the projects were charged with molesting two 13-year-old Belcourt girls.

"When we were alerted of the two undocumented workers - and after consulting with authorities - we shut down the site," said Marty Heires, a spokesman at Wal-Mart's corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Ark.

Work was halted for several hours on Tuesday, but resumed later in the day after authorities checked workers' documentation, Heires said.

He said no other workers on the project were found to be in the United States illegally.

"When we hire contractors, we expect them to abide by the law," Heires said. "Obviously, we are dismayed they hired undocumented workers."

The projects' main contractor, Weis Builders of Minneapolis, had no comment. A woman who answered the telephone at the company's Minneapolis office hung up on an Associated Press reporter seeking comment.

Heires said the two illegal aliens found working on the project appeared to be employed by a subcontractor hired by Weis Builders.

"We expect that every contractor, whether general or otherwise, abides by the letter of the law," Heires said.

For its part, Wal-Mart will be monitoring the construction closer, he said.

"Know that we are fully cooperating with the authorities," Heires said. "You can be sure of that."

Julio Alvarez, 21, and Carlos Martinez, 30, both Mexican nationals, were charged on Monday with gross sexual imposition in South Central District Court, Burleigh County prosecutor Brandi Sasse Russell said.

The Class AA felony charge carries a maximum punishment of life in prison and a $10,000 fine, Russell said.

The men are being held without bond in the Burleigh County jail, Russell said.

The two girls were found uninjured in Bismarck on Sunday, nearly three days after their disappearance prompted an Amber Alert.

Authorities believe the girls met the men at a shopping mall in Bismarck.

Tim Counts, a spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis, said the agency is investigating the case with local law enforcement authorities in Bismarck.

"We don't comment on ongoing enforcement activity," he said.

Construction on the Wal-Mart stores began in July and they are slated to open in March, Heires said.