by Jim Walsh and Megan Boehnke - May. 7, 2008 02:14 PM
A Maricopa County Sheriff's Office SWAT team went into a suspected drop house in Mesa on Wednesday and found 13 undocumented immigrants.
Deputies said they were tipped by an anonymous caller about a residence in the 300 block of East Kenwood Circle, northwest of McKellips Road and Mesa Drive.
After deputies arrived about 1:30, a man came out of the home and said he had been held against his will, according to the MCSO.
Deputies said they were tipped by an anonymous caller about a residence in the 300 block of East Kenwood Circle, northwest of McKellips Road and Mesa Drive.
After deputies arrived about 1:30, a man came out of the home and said he had been held against his will, according to the MCSO.
“It appears to be a drop house,” said Doug Matteson, an MSCO spokesman. “That's why we made entry real quick, to make sure no one was injured.”
The home is in the Kenwood Circle neighborhood, a cluster of middle-class homes in a quiet part of the city.
Officials said coyotes, who are paid to bring undocumented workers into the country, could be among the 13 being held.
William Roberts, 55, said he has lived in a nearby home for 18 years and has been watching the suspected drop house for more than a year, often sending anonymous letters to Mesa police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement about activity there.
He said he often saw cars drive to the back of the house, close to the back door, and people going into the house.
"I've been working on my house and I watch what's going on around here,” Roberts said. “They come and go at all hours, mostly at night. We hear their vehicle engines, their lights, doors slamming."
He said he had been concerned about his family's safety and sleeps with a gun under his pillow.
"That's how scared I am. It's been hell living here all this time. I jump at every little noise,” he said. “Thank god it's finally over."
The home is in the Kenwood Circle neighborhood, a cluster of middle-class homes in a quiet part of the city.
Officials said coyotes, who are paid to bring undocumented workers into the country, could be among the 13 being held.
William Roberts, 55, said he has lived in a nearby home for 18 years and has been watching the suspected drop house for more than a year, often sending anonymous letters to Mesa police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement about activity there.
He said he often saw cars drive to the back of the house, close to the back door, and people going into the house.
"I've been working on my house and I watch what's going on around here,” Roberts said. “They come and go at all hours, mostly at night. We hear their vehicle engines, their lights, doors slamming."
He said he had been concerned about his family's safety and sleeps with a gun under his pillow.
"That's how scared I am. It's been hell living here all this time. I jump at every little noise,” he said. “Thank god it's finally over."
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment