KXO RADIO - Suspected abduction turns out to be a smuggling

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Todays is : Monday, 01 December 2008

Written by George Gale
Wednesday, 08 October 2008
(Vehicle that crashes Interstate 8 checkpoint from El Centro)…..Sergeant Jeff Mason with the El Centro police Department says a suspicious activity call came in at around 3:00 Tuesday afternoon. Mason said the caller indicated a child might possibly have been abducted. The report was that a child had been put in the trunk of a silver vehicle in the 1200 block of El Centro Avenue. The suspect was described as a Hispanic male, wearing military camouflaged clothing. Another witness reportedly tried to intervene and stop the vehicle, but was knocked to the ground. Mason said all surrounding Law Enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for the silver vehicle. The Sergeant said the notifications paid off. At 5:17 Tuesday evening, El Centro Detectives were notified of a silver vehicle that had tried to run through the Border Patrol Inspection checkpoint on Interstate 8. The vehicle reportedly ran into a Border Patrol agent as the driver crashed through the checkpoint. Shots were fired and the vehicle detained. The driver and four passengers were taken into custody. Mason said it turns out there was no kidnapping. He said a father and son, both illegal immigrants, were voluntarily being smuggled into the Country. There is no word on the condition of the injured agent. Westbound I-8 was closed from 4:00 pm until 9:00 pm while the incident was investigated.