Police find illegal immigrants locked in trunk
Jeremy Roebuck
June 19, 2007 - 5:53PM


PALMVIEW — Two illegal immigrants survived a harrowing half hour trapped in the trunk of a car during a high-speed pursuit Monday, according to police.

Authorities discovered the men moments after the vehicle’s driver crashed his 1996 Ford Crown Victoria into a barrier along Expressway 83’s frontage road near Palmview.

The driver, Gilberto Castro, 20, of Brownsville, was arrested at the crash site just after 11 p.m.

Officers had attempted to pull over Castro’s vehicle a half hour earlier near the intersection of Redwood Street and Expressway 83 in Rio Grande City.

His car was missing a tail light and another to illuminate his back license plate, said Noe Castillo, Rio Grande City assistant police chief.

But Castro fled from officers, heading east along Expressway 83 through Sullivan City, La Joya and Peñitas at speeds of about 80 mph, police said.

Castro pulled off the expressway near its intersection with Showers Road and eventually crashed his car into a brick pylon under the overpass while trying to make a U-turn.

Officers caught up to him yards from the Martin Valley Ranch Golf Course and discovered the two men hiding in the vehicle’s trunk, Castillo said. They were taken to an area hospital for evaluation but neither had suffered injuries during the pursuit.

Both men have been handed over to U.S. Border Patrol agents for deportation proceedings.

And Castro is set to face charges of assault, reckless driving and evading arrest. He remained in the Starr County jail Tuesday evening, awaiting an initial court appearance later this week.

If convicted on all charges, he could face up to two years in county jail.
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Jeremy Roebuck covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4437.

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