And this creep is married???
SAN ANTONIO -- A man from Honduras is behind bars after he was accused of having sex with an underage girl. The man, 25-year-old Wilson Nunez, is an illegal immigrant. The alleged victim is a 15-year-old high school student.According to a case affidavit, Nunez met the teen at a gas station right up the street from her high school. The teen said she went with Nunez to his brother's home, where they had sex.The girl later told her mom what happened. The mom then called police to say her daughter had been molested."Certainly it's illegal for the contact," explained Sgt. Gabe Trevino of the San Antonio Police Department. "The fact that it was reported to us and, obviously, we started the investigation at that point."Police checked with the school's attendance records and confirmed the teen had missed school on September 10th, the day she claims she met up with Nunez. Nunez was a friend of the family.Nunez's wife told police she found messages between him and the teen, and it appeared they were having a relationship."The mere fact that this child is 15 made the offense a felony," Sgt. Trevino told News 4.Police arrested Nunez Monday night and charged him with sexual assault of a child. Nunez remains in the Bexar County Jail without bond because of his legal status.Under Texas law, sexual assault of anyone under the age of 17 is a second degree felony. A conviction can result in up to 20 years in state prison and a $10,000 fine.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
UT Pot farm probably Mexican drug cartel
Hunters Discover Marijuana Farm Worth Millions in Utah Mountains
Tuesday , October 21, 2008
:
Hunters in central Utah hoping to find some deer this weekend stumbled instead on a marijuana farm worth millions growing in the mountains.
The pot plant collection is the latest of several discovered in Utah in recent weeks, this one estimated to contain several thousand plants, according to KSL-TV.
One hunter described the scene as “quite an operation” complete with a pressurized watering system using a spring from the mountain itself, KSL-TV in Salt Lake City reported.
The hunters also found two men watering the plants, one allegedly armed with a handgun, who police believe were actually living at the site and guarding the operation, the station reported.
When police approached, the suspects “grabbed what they could and took off running” — but eventually Jose Rodriguez and Cesar Duran-Frias and were arrested, Sanpete County Sheriff's Sgt. Greg Peterson told KSL-TV.
No additional suspects have been named in the case, but investigators were keeping a watch on the site as they worked to remove the massive number of plants, the station reported.
"Especially as much as there is, it's really good to get it off of the mountain before it is harvested and before they start selling it and getting it on the street," Peterson told KSL-TV.
Tuesday , October 21, 2008
:
Hunters in central Utah hoping to find some deer this weekend stumbled instead on a marijuana farm worth millions growing in the mountains.
The pot plant collection is the latest of several discovered in Utah in recent weeks, this one estimated to contain several thousand plants, according to KSL-TV.
One hunter described the scene as “quite an operation” complete with a pressurized watering system using a spring from the mountain itself, KSL-TV in Salt Lake City reported.
The hunters also found two men watering the plants, one allegedly armed with a handgun, who police believe were actually living at the site and guarding the operation, the station reported.
When police approached, the suspects “grabbed what they could and took off running” — but eventually Jose Rodriguez and Cesar Duran-Frias and were arrested, Sanpete County Sheriff's Sgt. Greg Peterson told KSL-TV.
No additional suspects have been named in the case, but investigators were keeping a watch on the site as they worked to remove the massive number of plants, the station reported.
"Especially as much as there is, it's really good to get it off of the mountain before it is harvested and before they start selling it and getting it on the street," Peterson told KSL-TV.
AZ Another Illegal kills another cop
Accused Cop Killer Has 4 Outstanding Warrants
Illegal Immigrant Booked On 1 Count Of Manslaughter
POSTED: 11:56 am MST October 25, 2008
UPDATED: 6:48 am MST October 26, 2008
PHOENIX -- A suspected drunken driver in the country illegally who plowed into a squad car and killed a Phoenix police officer had four outstanding warrants, investigators said.
Officer Shane Figueroa, 25, was killed early Saturday while responding to a call about a series of shots fired. Figueroa was heading northbound on S. 19th Avenue, police said.
Police arrested Salvador Vivas Diaz, 50, and booked him on one count of manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault. Sgt. Andy Hill said there are four warrants for the man's arrest under a different name, two of which are for DUI.
"As he approached S. Roeser Road, a small white pickup truck with two occupants was driving southbound on S. Roeser Road and, according to witnesses and investigators, turned left in front of Officer Figueroa's vehicle," Hill said.
Hill said Diaz slammed his pickup truck into the officer's car west of downtown Phoenix.
"Officer Figueroa suffered fatal injuries during this crash and was pronounced dead at St. Joseph's Hospital," Hill said.
Diaz suffered minor injuries. His passenger was seriously hurt.
"This is another tremendous loss, not only to Officer Figueroa's family, but to the Phoenix Police Department and the community," said Sgt. Andy Hill.
Figueroa leaves behind a wife and a 3-month-old baby girl.
"This has been a terrible tragedy for our department," said Jack Harris, Phoenix police chief. "As you know, we have lost four officers in the past month due to either personal illness or to, in this case, a very tragic accident."
Officers said the collision is still under investigation. "There are a number of factors critical to this investigation that will be determined by lab tests and mathematical calculations," he said.
"Officer Figueroa's dad is a retired officer from the Phoenix Police Department and is currently employed as an officer in the town of Maricopa," Harris said. "His father-in-law is currently a lieutenant with the Mesa Police Department."
Illegal Immigrant Booked On 1 Count Of Manslaughter
POSTED: 11:56 am MST October 25, 2008
UPDATED: 6:48 am MST October 26, 2008
PHOENIX -- A suspected drunken driver in the country illegally who plowed into a squad car and killed a Phoenix police officer had four outstanding warrants, investigators said.
Officer Shane Figueroa, 25, was killed early Saturday while responding to a call about a series of shots fired. Figueroa was heading northbound on S. 19th Avenue, police said.
Police arrested Salvador Vivas Diaz, 50, and booked him on one count of manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault. Sgt. Andy Hill said there are four warrants for the man's arrest under a different name, two of which are for DUI.
"As he approached S. Roeser Road, a small white pickup truck with two occupants was driving southbound on S. Roeser Road and, according to witnesses and investigators, turned left in front of Officer Figueroa's vehicle," Hill said.
Hill said Diaz slammed his pickup truck into the officer's car west of downtown Phoenix.
"Officer Figueroa suffered fatal injuries during this crash and was pronounced dead at St. Joseph's Hospital," Hill said.
Diaz suffered minor injuries. His passenger was seriously hurt.
"This is another tremendous loss, not only to Officer Figueroa's family, but to the Phoenix Police Department and the community," said Sgt. Andy Hill.
Figueroa leaves behind a wife and a 3-month-old baby girl.
"This has been a terrible tragedy for our department," said Jack Harris, Phoenix police chief. "As you know, we have lost four officers in the past month due to either personal illness or to, in this case, a very tragic accident."
Officers said the collision is still under investigation. "There are a number of factors critical to this investigation that will be determined by lab tests and mathematical calculations," he said.
"Officer Figueroa's dad is a retired officer from the Phoenix Police Department and is currently employed as an officer in the town of Maricopa," Harris said. "His father-in-law is currently a lieutenant with the Mesa Police Department."
Friday, October 24, 2008
TX Illegal Serial Killer
Suspect in border slayings extradited to Mexico
By MARINA MONTEMAYOR – 1 day ago
CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO (AP) — A Mexican citizen who allegedly confessed to killing at least 10 women in the violent border city of Juarez was back in his home country on Wednesday to face justice.
Jose Francisco Granados de la Paz was extradited on Tuesday to stand trial for aggravated homicide in a string of slayings of women, the U.S. Justice Department said. He was expected to appear before a Mexican judge next week.
Granados de la Paz, 30, allegedly acknowledged to Mexican and Texas authorities that he killed at least 10 women near Ciudad Juarez from about 1993 to 2006 as "offerings to Satan," according to the extradition complaint.
The U.S. Justice Department said the extradition is the first use of a special provision of the U.S.-Mexico Extradition Treaty that allows suspects to serve the remainder of their sentence in another country.
In April 2006, Granados de la Paz was sentenced to more than three years in prison for immigration violations in the U.S. He has been serving time at the Lewisburg Federal Prison in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, but will serve the rest of his sentence in Mexico, in addition to any sentence he may receive from a Mexican court.
"By working together, we ensure criminals are brought to justice on both sides of the border," U.S. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich said in a statement.
The extradition request was granted last year and focused on Granados de la Paz's alleged confession to stabbing Mayra Juliana Reyes Solis in 2001.
Her body, and the remains of four other women, were found five months later in a canal in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas.
In 2006, Denver police arrested a suspected accomplice, construction worker Edgar Alvarez Cruz, whom Mexican authorities have charged with the killing. Alvarez Cruz owned and was driving the car in which Reyes Solis was killed, according to excerpts from Granados de la Paz's confession that were included in the extradition complaint.
During the decade that ended in 2003, more than 100 women disappeared in Ciudad Juarez. Many of them were young women last seen in the city's downtown area or after boarding buses. The victims' bodies were often dumped in the desert outside the city.
Activists in Ciudad Juarez said they weren't convinced Granados de la Paz was involved in the killings, mostly because previous investigations of the killings had been botched.
"We are going to pay close attention to what Granados de la Paz does, what he says, how he says it, given that he has said he was too high on drugs to have carried out the killings," said Victoria Caraveo of Women in Search of Justice.
By MARINA MONTEMAYOR – 1 day ago
CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO (AP) — A Mexican citizen who allegedly confessed to killing at least 10 women in the violent border city of Juarez was back in his home country on Wednesday to face justice.
Jose Francisco Granados de la Paz was extradited on Tuesday to stand trial for aggravated homicide in a string of slayings of women, the U.S. Justice Department said. He was expected to appear before a Mexican judge next week.
Granados de la Paz, 30, allegedly acknowledged to Mexican and Texas authorities that he killed at least 10 women near Ciudad Juarez from about 1993 to 2006 as "offerings to Satan," according to the extradition complaint.
The U.S. Justice Department said the extradition is the first use of a special provision of the U.S.-Mexico Extradition Treaty that allows suspects to serve the remainder of their sentence in another country.
In April 2006, Granados de la Paz was sentenced to more than three years in prison for immigration violations in the U.S. He has been serving time at the Lewisburg Federal Prison in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, but will serve the rest of his sentence in Mexico, in addition to any sentence he may receive from a Mexican court.
"By working together, we ensure criminals are brought to justice on both sides of the border," U.S. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich said in a statement.
The extradition request was granted last year and focused on Granados de la Paz's alleged confession to stabbing Mayra Juliana Reyes Solis in 2001.
Her body, and the remains of four other women, were found five months later in a canal in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas.
In 2006, Denver police arrested a suspected accomplice, construction worker Edgar Alvarez Cruz, whom Mexican authorities have charged with the killing. Alvarez Cruz owned and was driving the car in which Reyes Solis was killed, according to excerpts from Granados de la Paz's confession that were included in the extradition complaint.
During the decade that ended in 2003, more than 100 women disappeared in Ciudad Juarez. Many of them were young women last seen in the city's downtown area or after boarding buses. The victims' bodies were often dumped in the desert outside the city.
Activists in Ciudad Juarez said they weren't convinced Granados de la Paz was involved in the killings, mostly because previous investigations of the killings had been botched.
"We are going to pay close attention to what Granados de la Paz does, what he says, how he says it, given that he has said he was too high on drugs to have carried out the killings," said Victoria Caraveo of Women in Search of Justice.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
NY Deported Illegal kills cops in subway
Immigration probes how shooting suspect got to NYC
By COLLEEN LONG Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- Federal immigration officials are wondering how a man involved in a subway shootout with police officers had re-entered the U.S. after being deported a decade ago after a drug arrest.
The man, Raul Nunez, illegally used a student's fare payment card to enter a subway station during Tuesday evening's rush hour, police said. Two plainclothes transit officers tried to arrest him, and in a struggle he grabbed one of their guns and shot them, police said.
Nunez, who is from the Dominican Republic, reportedly told authorities he resisted because he was afraid he'd be deported again if he were arrested.
Nunez, 32, was deported June 24, 1998, by an immigration judge after a drug arrest in New York. He was charged in Manhattan with selling cocaine to an undercover officer in 1997. He also had a drug conviction in 1996.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents say they're not sure when he re-entered the country.
Officer Shane Farina, who was shot near his sternum and suffered a fractured rib, remained in critical but stable condition Wednesday after undergoing surgery. Officer Jason Maass, who was shot in the lower back, was released early Wednesday from a hospital. Both officers were wearing bulletproof vests, police said.
Farina, 38, joined the police department four years ago. Maass, 28, has been an officer with the department since 2006.
Nunez was shot twice in the left leg and once in the torso and right leg by a nearby police lieutenant as he tried to run away, police said. He was hospitalized under police custody. It wasn't immediately clear what his condition was Wednesday.
He is awaiting arraignment on charges of attempted murder. Federal immigration officials said Nunez also faces a charge of re-entering the country after deportation.
Nunez would face 25 years to life in prison and deportation if convicted.
By COLLEEN LONG Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- Federal immigration officials are wondering how a man involved in a subway shootout with police officers had re-entered the U.S. after being deported a decade ago after a drug arrest.
The man, Raul Nunez, illegally used a student's fare payment card to enter a subway station during Tuesday evening's rush hour, police said. Two plainclothes transit officers tried to arrest him, and in a struggle he grabbed one of their guns and shot them, police said.
Nunez, who is from the Dominican Republic, reportedly told authorities he resisted because he was afraid he'd be deported again if he were arrested.
Nunez, 32, was deported June 24, 1998, by an immigration judge after a drug arrest in New York. He was charged in Manhattan with selling cocaine to an undercover officer in 1997. He also had a drug conviction in 1996.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents say they're not sure when he re-entered the country.
Officer Shane Farina, who was shot near his sternum and suffered a fractured rib, remained in critical but stable condition Wednesday after undergoing surgery. Officer Jason Maass, who was shot in the lower back, was released early Wednesday from a hospital. Both officers were wearing bulletproof vests, police said.
Farina, 38, joined the police department four years ago. Maass, 28, has been an officer with the department since 2006.
Nunez was shot twice in the left leg and once in the torso and right leg by a nearby police lieutenant as he tried to run away, police said. He was hospitalized under police custody. It wasn't immediately clear what his condition was Wednesday.
He is awaiting arraignment on charges of attempted murder. Federal immigration officials said Nunez also faces a charge of re-entering the country after deportation.
Nunez would face 25 years to life in prison and deportation if convicted.
Monday, October 20, 2008
PA Arrested illegals on parol
Arrested Illegal Immigrants Were Paroled Killers
By Michael P. Tremoglie, The Bulletin
Two men arrested Oct. 14 in Reading on drug charges turned out to be paroled killers as well as illegal Cuban immigrants who were ordered to be deported but were not.The two were identified as Pedro Gonzalez-Aguiar, 46 and Pablo Morales-Torres, 56 both of Reading. Mr. Gonzalez-Aguilar was serving a 1984 robbery sentence when he killed a man in Graterford Prison in 1987. He served 16 years of the 11 to 25 year sentence he received for the crime. He was released in 2003.Mr. Morales-Torres was sentenced to 20 years for a 1987 murder committed in Lancaster. He served his entire sentence but was paroled for another offense committed since then. He was also wanted for a 1986 murder in Miami. Although they had been ordered to be deported after their murder convictions, it failed to happen because Cuba does not accept the repatriation of convicted murderers. They were released on the condition they would periodically report to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, in accordance with current immigration laws. As the law stands, an individual who cannot be expected to be deported cannot be held in custody indefinitely.Jian Liu, an immigration specialist with the Philadelphia law firm of Zarwin, Baum, DeVito, Kaplan, Schaer and Toddy, clarified the law."Individuals cannot be expected to be in custody awaiting deportation forever. ICE reviews the deportation status in 90 days. If they cannot be deported after that time, they are released under an order of supervision," Ms. Liu said. "This means that they are required to report weekly to a specific officer at ICE until deportation can be arranged."There is no limit to how long such a person can be supervised, Ms. Liu said. It is at the discretion of the ICE officer.Last March, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter,R-Pa., the ranking member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, introduced the Accountability in Immigration Repatriation (AIR) Act of 2008. It would impose sanctions on countries that refuse to take back aliens who have been convicted of crimes in the United States and other aliens who are under a final order of removal. "Streamlining the deportation process and insisting that countries repatriate illegal aliens who have been convicted of crimes of violence will free substantial Immigration and Customs Enforcement resources, which can then be devoted to improving identification and reporting of deportable criminal aliens in federal, state or local custody," Sen. Specter said. "My proposal works to stop criminal aliens from being released onto our streets and helps to close the government's credibility gap on immigration enforcement."
By Michael P. Tremoglie, The Bulletin
Two men arrested Oct. 14 in Reading on drug charges turned out to be paroled killers as well as illegal Cuban immigrants who were ordered to be deported but were not.The two were identified as Pedro Gonzalez-Aguiar, 46 and Pablo Morales-Torres, 56 both of Reading. Mr. Gonzalez-Aguilar was serving a 1984 robbery sentence when he killed a man in Graterford Prison in 1987. He served 16 years of the 11 to 25 year sentence he received for the crime. He was released in 2003.Mr. Morales-Torres was sentenced to 20 years for a 1987 murder committed in Lancaster. He served his entire sentence but was paroled for another offense committed since then. He was also wanted for a 1986 murder in Miami. Although they had been ordered to be deported after their murder convictions, it failed to happen because Cuba does not accept the repatriation of convicted murderers. They were released on the condition they would periodically report to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, in accordance with current immigration laws. As the law stands, an individual who cannot be expected to be deported cannot be held in custody indefinitely.Jian Liu, an immigration specialist with the Philadelphia law firm of Zarwin, Baum, DeVito, Kaplan, Schaer and Toddy, clarified the law."Individuals cannot be expected to be in custody awaiting deportation forever. ICE reviews the deportation status in 90 days. If they cannot be deported after that time, they are released under an order of supervision," Ms. Liu said. "This means that they are required to report weekly to a specific officer at ICE until deportation can be arranged."There is no limit to how long such a person can be supervised, Ms. Liu said. It is at the discretion of the ICE officer.Last March, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter,R-Pa., the ranking member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, introduced the Accountability in Immigration Repatriation (AIR) Act of 2008. It would impose sanctions on countries that refuse to take back aliens who have been convicted of crimes in the United States and other aliens who are under a final order of removal. "Streamlining the deportation process and insisting that countries repatriate illegal aliens who have been convicted of crimes of violence will free substantial Immigration and Customs Enforcement resources, which can then be devoted to improving identification and reporting of deportable criminal aliens in federal, state or local custody," Sen. Specter said. "My proposal works to stop criminal aliens from being released onto our streets and helps to close the government's credibility gap on immigration enforcement."
NY Illegal rapist
Police: Illegal alien charged with rape
Arturo Lorenzo Juan Bautista (Auburn Police Photo) Auburn, New York (WSYR-TV) - Auburn Police say an illegal alien living in the city has been charged with rape.Arturo Lorenzo Juan Bautista, 31, of Maple Street, a native of Guatemala has been charged with first degree rape.Around 3:30 a.m. on October 19, Auburn Police responded to a report of sexual assault at a home on Osborne Street.The victim told police she had been raped as she was sleeping. She woke up and attempted to get the suspect off of her, but was held down.She told police that the assault continued until her child came downstairs.Bautista was stopped by a patrol car on Osborne Street and identified by the victim as her assailant.When detectives, with the assistance of an interpreter, learned Bautista was in this country illegally, the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service was contacted and they advised they would investigate the defendant’s citizenship and proceed with further action if warranted.
Arturo Lorenzo Juan Bautista (Auburn Police Photo) Auburn, New York (WSYR-TV) - Auburn Police say an illegal alien living in the city has been charged with rape.Arturo Lorenzo Juan Bautista, 31, of Maple Street, a native of Guatemala has been charged with first degree rape.Around 3:30 a.m. on October 19, Auburn Police responded to a report of sexual assault at a home on Osborne Street.The victim told police she had been raped as she was sleeping. She woke up and attempted to get the suspect off of her, but was held down.She told police that the assault continued until her child came downstairs.Bautista was stopped by a patrol car on Osborne Street and identified by the victim as her assailant.When detectives, with the assistance of an interpreter, learned Bautista was in this country illegally, the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service was contacted and they advised they would investigate the defendant’s citizenship and proceed with further action if warranted.
TX sex offenders return
3 registered sex offenders caught at border station
October 20th, 2008 @ 1:16pm
by Jayme West/KTAR
Three sex offenders were caught entering the U.S. at the Nogales border station over the weekend.
Two are from Mexico and registered as sex offenders in Los Angeles and Colorado. One is from Guatemala and he is registered as a sex offender in northern California.
The Border Patrol says in just the first 11 months of this fiscal year, 460 registered sex offenders have been arrested by the Tucson sector border patrol.
The same sector has arrested more than 44,000 illegal aliens with criminal records during that same time period.
October 20th, 2008 @ 1:16pm
by Jayme West/KTAR
Three sex offenders were caught entering the U.S. at the Nogales border station over the weekend.
Two are from Mexico and registered as sex offenders in Los Angeles and Colorado. One is from Guatemala and he is registered as a sex offender in northern California.
The Border Patrol says in just the first 11 months of this fiscal year, 460 registered sex offenders have been arrested by the Tucson sector border patrol.
The same sector has arrested more than 44,000 illegal aliens with criminal records during that same time period.
MD Illegal home invader murderer
Man accused of home invasions grew increasingly violent October 20, 2008 - 6:23pm
Kate Ryan, WTOP Radio
ROCKVILLE, Md. - The investigation into the home invasions that left one woman dead and local communities shaken isn't over yet, even though the suspect is in jail.
Jose Juan Garcia-Perlera has been in jail since his Oct. 15 arrest, and that's where he's been ordered to stay - without bond - until a preliminary hearing next month.
Montgomery County Police say the 33-year-old Garcia-Perlera grew increasingly violent from the first home invasion robbery in September 2007 to the murder of a Bethesda woman in September.
In one case, Garcia-Perlera allegedly beat and pistol-whipped one of his elderly victims when she discovered him hiding in an outdoor storage area. In other cases, the Hyattsville man allegedly hog-tied his victims. His violent behavior escalated in September, when police say he murdered a woman.
On Sept. 4, 63-year-old Mary Frances Havenstein was found dead inside her Bethesda home on Seven Locks Road. Like the other victims, she had been bound and gagged.
After listening to prosecutors describe some of the facts in the case, a Montgomery County judge ordered Garcia-Perlera, a self-described electrician, held without bond.
Garcia-Perlera is also wanted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and may be responsible for a string of other thefts - including cars - and other crimes, prosecutors says.
Police say they are continuing to investigate.
"As we continue to piece this case together, and investigate his actions, we're determining there are other crimes that he may have been involved with," Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger says.
Manger says they're still trying to figure out how Garcia-Perlera, a native of El Salvador, chose his victims.
So far, the police work has been intense, with "teams of people working around the clock," Manger says.
The escalating violence in each attack added to the urgency in the investigation.
"There was a case early on where the victim had asked the suspect to loosen the ropes. He did. That came out later, and became public knowledge so that the following case, he tied the victim up it appears even tighter, and ended up actually injuring the victim," Manger says.
Prosecutors say Garcia-Perlera was a "regular" at a pawn shop, where several of the stolen items turned up.
Manger says police were tracing a laptop stolen from a home on Seven Lock Road just a week before Havenstein was murdered. The laptop led police to Garcia-Perlera.
In a search of his Hyattsville home, police found items linked to other home invasion robberies. A subsequent DNA check also linked Perlera to the home invasions.
As far as police can tell, Garcia-Perlera lived alone in an apartment in Hyattsville. Police are continuing to investigate whether anyone else was involved.
There is no clear motive at this time.
A preliminary court date for Garcia-Perlera is scheduled for Nov. 14.
NV boy kidnapped by mexican drug cartel.
They're heeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre.
KIDNAPPED 6-YEAR-OLD: Police reveal link to drugsDeals involving boy's kin led to incident, authorities say
By LAWRENCE MOWER and FRANCIS MCCABEREVIEW-JOURNAL
The disappearance of 6-year-old Cole Puffinburger this week was related to illegal drug activities involving the boy's family, Las Vegas police said Thursday.
The case involves "significant amounts of money and drugs" and "a number of drug deals that have taken place," Capt. Vincent Cannito said.
He declined to elaborate on the drug deals or who was involved in the scheme, citing the ongoing investigation.
Sources said it's believed that a member of Cole's family owes a Mexican drug cartel between $8 million and $20 million.
Sources described the family member as an alleged money launderer for the cartel. The family member is in hiding.
Authorities have received between 15 to 20 contacts per hour about the boy, although some of those have come from people wanting more information about the suspects, said David Hatch, a consultant with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children who is now working with Las Vegas police on the case.
Police have devoted more than 100 detectives to the case, Cannito said, and the department has several persons of interest. They have some "very significant leads," he said.
The kidnapping, which has sparked a national search involving federal and local authorities, continues to be a race against time, Cannito said.
"The longer we go, the more dangerous this situation becomes," Cannito said.
The Amber Alert for Cole's disappearance has spread to five states. Alerts are displayed on road signs, at truck stops, gas stations, hotels and other high-traffic areas around the country.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol agents have been notified to be on the lookout for the suspects, Cannito said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also is investigating.
Dozens of family and friends of the boy gathered with complete strangers at a Target shopping center at Charleston and Nellis boulevards at nightfall Thursday to pick up fliers and fan out around the valley to pass them out.
Cole's father, Robert Puffinburger, didn't want to talk about the case but asked for his son to be returned safe.
"He's a good kid," the 28-year-old civil engineer said with a smile. "I'm sure he's giving them hell right now."
He had been passing out fliers since Wednesday evening.
Isa Castra and husband Teo said they decided to volunteer to pass out fliers because they're bilingual and thought that they could be helpful in Spanish-speaking neighborhoods.
She said they didn't know Cole or his family.
"If this were to happen with one of our kids, we would want the community to come together for us," Isa Castra said.
Robert Puffinburger seemed to be in a daze as people hugged him and said they were praying for his son.
"It's amazing how a community comes together in times like this," he said.
One of the key pieces of information in the case -- a vehicle description -- has yet to materialize. Police also only have the description of one of the three suspects in the case.
That suspect is described as having black, shoulder-length, slicked-back hair. He is in his early 30s, 5 feet 7 inches tall and about 150 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans.
Police said two, possibly three, men claimed to be police officers before they entered Cole's home on Cherry Grove Avenue, near Hollywood and Lake Mead boulevards, about 7:15 a.m.
The men demanded money, and the boy's mother and her fiance told them they didn't have any, police said. The men used zip ties to restrain the two, gagged them and searched the house, police said.
When they didn't find money, they took Cole and fled in a vehicle, police said.
"This is about as bad as it gets," Cannito said.
According to America's Most Wanted's Web site, which cited "investigators," the men who burst into Cole's east valley home Wednesday morning were looking for the boy's grandfather, who hasn't lived at the home since last year.
Cannito declined to confirm that report.
Hatch, who has worked for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children since retiring as a homicide detective with Las Vegas police, said police canvassed the neighborhood Thursday.
They stopped cars, went door-to-door and interviewed dozens of people, he said. People of particular interest for information were those who drive regular routes through the neighborhood, such as delivery workers, he said.
He said the viciousness of the attack concerned him.
"These are trusting people," Hatch said of the family. "They said 'police,' so they opened the door to see what was going on."
Cannito continued to urge the public for information on Cole's whereabouts.
Cole is 3 feet 11 inches tall, 48 pounds and has distinctly stained front teeth. He has blond hair and blue eyes.
The boy was last seen wearing a black John Cena WWE wrestling shirt, dark jeans, a belt, black Vans shoes, white socks and a black, zip-up hooded sweat shirt with white, black and blue stars over it.
KIDNAPPED 6-YEAR-OLD: Police reveal link to drugsDeals involving boy's kin led to incident, authorities say
By LAWRENCE MOWER and FRANCIS MCCABEREVIEW-JOURNAL
The disappearance of 6-year-old Cole Puffinburger this week was related to illegal drug activities involving the boy's family, Las Vegas police said Thursday.
The case involves "significant amounts of money and drugs" and "a number of drug deals that have taken place," Capt. Vincent Cannito said.
He declined to elaborate on the drug deals or who was involved in the scheme, citing the ongoing investigation.
Sources said it's believed that a member of Cole's family owes a Mexican drug cartel between $8 million and $20 million.
Sources described the family member as an alleged money launderer for the cartel. The family member is in hiding.
Authorities have received between 15 to 20 contacts per hour about the boy, although some of those have come from people wanting more information about the suspects, said David Hatch, a consultant with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children who is now working with Las Vegas police on the case.
Police have devoted more than 100 detectives to the case, Cannito said, and the department has several persons of interest. They have some "very significant leads," he said.
The kidnapping, which has sparked a national search involving federal and local authorities, continues to be a race against time, Cannito said.
"The longer we go, the more dangerous this situation becomes," Cannito said.
The Amber Alert for Cole's disappearance has spread to five states. Alerts are displayed on road signs, at truck stops, gas stations, hotels and other high-traffic areas around the country.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol agents have been notified to be on the lookout for the suspects, Cannito said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also is investigating.
Dozens of family and friends of the boy gathered with complete strangers at a Target shopping center at Charleston and Nellis boulevards at nightfall Thursday to pick up fliers and fan out around the valley to pass them out.
Cole's father, Robert Puffinburger, didn't want to talk about the case but asked for his son to be returned safe.
"He's a good kid," the 28-year-old civil engineer said with a smile. "I'm sure he's giving them hell right now."
He had been passing out fliers since Wednesday evening.
Isa Castra and husband Teo said they decided to volunteer to pass out fliers because they're bilingual and thought that they could be helpful in Spanish-speaking neighborhoods.
She said they didn't know Cole or his family.
"If this were to happen with one of our kids, we would want the community to come together for us," Isa Castra said.
Robert Puffinburger seemed to be in a daze as people hugged him and said they were praying for his son.
"It's amazing how a community comes together in times like this," he said.
One of the key pieces of information in the case -- a vehicle description -- has yet to materialize. Police also only have the description of one of the three suspects in the case.
That suspect is described as having black, shoulder-length, slicked-back hair. He is in his early 30s, 5 feet 7 inches tall and about 150 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans.
Police said two, possibly three, men claimed to be police officers before they entered Cole's home on Cherry Grove Avenue, near Hollywood and Lake Mead boulevards, about 7:15 a.m.
The men demanded money, and the boy's mother and her fiance told them they didn't have any, police said. The men used zip ties to restrain the two, gagged them and searched the house, police said.
When they didn't find money, they took Cole and fled in a vehicle, police said.
"This is about as bad as it gets," Cannito said.
According to America's Most Wanted's Web site, which cited "investigators," the men who burst into Cole's east valley home Wednesday morning were looking for the boy's grandfather, who hasn't lived at the home since last year.
Cannito declined to confirm that report.
Hatch, who has worked for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children since retiring as a homicide detective with Las Vegas police, said police canvassed the neighborhood Thursday.
They stopped cars, went door-to-door and interviewed dozens of people, he said. People of particular interest for information were those who drive regular routes through the neighborhood, such as delivery workers, he said.
He said the viciousness of the attack concerned him.
"These are trusting people," Hatch said of the family. "They said 'police,' so they opened the door to see what was going on."
Cannito continued to urge the public for information on Cole's whereabouts.
Cole is 3 feet 11 inches tall, 48 pounds and has distinctly stained front teeth. He has blond hair and blue eyes.
The boy was last seen wearing a black John Cena WWE wrestling shirt, dark jeans, a belt, black Vans shoes, white socks and a black, zip-up hooded sweat shirt with white, black and blue stars over it.
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