TX-Police say teen was likely smuggling victim
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Police say teen was likely smuggling victim
May 16, 2009, 6:39PM
HOUSTON — A Guatemalan teenager found dead in a pickup truck likely died of dehydration after human smugglers brought him to Texas in an enclosed vehicle without enough water, Houston homicide detectives said.
Houston police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are investigating his death, Sgt. C.D. Howard said.
The 14-year-old's identity would not be released until his parents in Guatemala were contacted, Howard said.
An autopsy was conducted Friday but a cause of death has not been established, the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office said.
The Houston Chronicle reports investigators believe the smugglers realized the teen was in distress and left him in the pickup by a park.
A woman who called the boy's family told them to bring money and water, but the smugglers were gone when the relatives arrived around 5:40 p.m. on Thursday. The family found the boy dead in the back seat of the pickup, police said.
Investigators believe the boy left Guatemala more than two weeks ago and think he was on his way to join a brother who has lived in Houston for 12 years, Howard said.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6427488.html
Re: TX-Police say teen was likely smuggling victim
This is too bad but the family took the chance of illegally getting their kid into the country.
Now they and the brother have to deal with killing him.
I wonder if the ACLU will help them sue the US? 8O
