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Friday, August 28, 2009
Vigil this morning for slain border patrol agent
Britt Craig, Mission Viejo resident and Campo Minuteman, talks about Robert Rosas.
By JOHN CRANDALL and CINDY CARCAMO
The Orange County Register
Comments 24 | Recommended3
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – About a dozen people met at a Rancho Santa Margarita corner this morning to honor a border patrol agent killed in July and to voice their objections to illegal immigration.
At a vigil at Avenida Empresa and Avenida de Las Banderas, Orange County residents held candles, American flags and signs that said "Stop Illegal Immigration" and "Where's the outrage" with a picture of slain border patrol agent Robert Rosas.
Britt Craig, a 60-year-old Mission Viejo man who said he witnessed the killing of Rosas hosted the vigil. Craig, who has split time between his home and the Campo border as part of the Minuteman Project, is possibly the only civilian to have witnessed Rosas' fatal shooting on July 23.
"I saw him that last day, talked to him," Craig said while holding a sign. "He was a nice guy."
Craig has spent at least 96 hours a week at Campo since 2005, has said he heard gunshots at the night of Rosas' killing but couldn't see anything because of the rolling hills.
"I heard four spaced shots like bang, bang, bang, bang," Craig has said. "Then there was a shooting fairly rapidly ... three or four bangs, just as fast as you could shoot."
Border Patrol agents said they could not confirm Craig's story because the FBI is investigating the fatal shooting. The FBI did not return calls for comment.
Mexican officials told The Associated Press that they have detained five men in connection with the case.
Mexican officials also told the news service that Ernesto Parra Valenzuela, 36, had a 9mm pistol when he was captured walking alone near the scene of the shooting. They told the AP that Parra admitted he was a migrant smuggler when local police found him about five hours after the shooting, but he denied any involvement with Rosas' death.
However, FBI officials who are leading the investigation have not publicly identified any suspects.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection have offered a $250,000 reward in addition to the FBI's $110,000 reward offer.
Anyone with information about the killing can contact the FBI at 858-565-1255. The person providing information may remain anonymous, border officials said.
Check back later for further updates.
Contact the writer: 949-454-7308 or jcrandall@ocregister.com or twitter.com/newsguy777 or facebook.com/newsguy777
Vigil this morning for slain border patrol agent
Britt Craig, Mission Viejo resident and Campo Minuteman, talks about Robert Rosas.
By JOHN CRANDALL and CINDY CARCAMO
The Orange County Register
Comments 24 | Recommended3
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – About a dozen people met at a Rancho Santa Margarita corner this morning to honor a border patrol agent killed in July and to voice their objections to illegal immigration.
At a vigil at Avenida Empresa and Avenida de Las Banderas, Orange County residents held candles, American flags and signs that said "Stop Illegal Immigration" and "Where's the outrage" with a picture of slain border patrol agent Robert Rosas.
Britt Craig, a 60-year-old Mission Viejo man who said he witnessed the killing of Rosas hosted the vigil. Craig, who has split time between his home and the Campo border as part of the Minuteman Project, is possibly the only civilian to have witnessed Rosas' fatal shooting on July 23.
"I saw him that last day, talked to him," Craig said while holding a sign. "He was a nice guy."
Craig has spent at least 96 hours a week at Campo since 2005, has said he heard gunshots at the night of Rosas' killing but couldn't see anything because of the rolling hills.
"I heard four spaced shots like bang, bang, bang, bang," Craig has said. "Then there was a shooting fairly rapidly ... three or four bangs, just as fast as you could shoot."
Border Patrol agents said they could not confirm Craig's story because the FBI is investigating the fatal shooting. The FBI did not return calls for comment.
Mexican officials told The Associated Press that they have detained five men in connection with the case.
Mexican officials also told the news service that Ernesto Parra Valenzuela, 36, had a 9mm pistol when he was captured walking alone near the scene of the shooting. They told the AP that Parra admitted he was a migrant smuggler when local police found him about five hours after the shooting, but he denied any involvement with Rosas' death.
However, FBI officials who are leading the investigation have not publicly identified any suspects.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection have offered a $250,000 reward in addition to the FBI's $110,000 reward offer.
Anyone with information about the killing can contact the FBI at 858-565-1255. The person providing information may remain anonymous, border officials said.
Check back later for further updates.
Contact the writer: 949-454-7308 or jcrandall@ocregister.com or twitter.com/newsguy777 or facebook.com/newsguy777
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