Thread: Immigrants flee Ariz. authorities in desert, canal

Oct 26, 11:13 PM EDT


Immigrants flee Ariz. authorities in desert, canal

GILBERT, Ariz. (AP) -- More than a dozen suspected illegal immigrants ran from police into the desert or jumped in a canal near Gilbert on Sunday. One woman drowned.

Gila River Indian Community spokeswoman Alia Maisonet says a van filled with 17 people fled police around 12:30 p.m. and drove into the desert before everyone got out and scattered.

One woman pulled from the canal was pronounced dead at the scene. A second woman was airlifted to a local hospital; her condition is unknown.

Authorities are draining the canal to search for a third person.

Nine people who fled police were found in the desert near the San Tan Mountains and taken into custody. Five others were arrested near the van.

Maisonet says Gila River police began following the van because it looked suspicious.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/ ... TE=DEFAULT

4 die in Arizona canal while fleeing police
The Associated PressPublished: October 27, 2008



PHOENIX: A tribal spokeswoman says four suspected illegal immigrants died while trying to escape police by jumping into an irrigation canal on an Arizona Indian reservation.

Gila River Indian Community spokeswoman Alia Maisonet says two men were found dead Monday after authorities had drained the canal.

Maisonet says another man had been found Sunday and a woman died Sunday evening after being pulled out. A fifth person survived.

The five were among a group of suspected illegal immigrants who were stopped after a tribal police officer saw their van driving erratically on the reservation.

Maisonet says that about 20 people jumped out and ran in different directions, with one group jumping a fence and into the canal.

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Feds charge suspected driver of illegal immigrants in Ariz.; 4 died after jumping into canal
Associated Press

October 28, 2008

PHOENIX - The suspected driver of a van carrying illegal immigrants — some of whom drowned after jumping into an irrigation canal — is being charged in federal court.

Juan Moreno Gonzalez is facing a charge of transporting illegal immigrants within the United States, but could face more charges once the investigation is finished.

A criminal complaint filed Tuesday says Moreno denied driving the van. But authorities say two immigrants identified Moreno as the driver and said he had threatened them if they identified him.

Four immigrants in the van drowned in an irrigation canal while trying to escape police. Fourteen other people, including Moreno, were captured.

Most of the immigrants were from Guatemala. Moreno is a legal permanent resident from Mexico.

http://www.startribune.com/nation/33473604.html