Man smuggled over border, then stabbed at gas station (OC Register)

Man smuggled over border, then stabbed at gas station
Incident occurs in Buena Park; victim headed back to Mexico.

By DENISSE SALAZAR
The Orange County Register
Thursday, February 5, 2009

BUENA PARK – A man suffered stab wounds after he tried to escape from who he described as his kidnappers at a gas station, police said today.

Police were called at 2:42 p.m. Wednesday to a Chevron station in the 6300 block of Beach Boulevard regarding a possible stabbing, said Buena Park police Sgt. William Kohanek.

Police found 22-year-old Jesus Flores, of Mexico, had been stabbed in the chest and hip.

Flores told police he was in Tijuana, Mexico, looking for a way to cross the border into the United States when he met a man and a woman – and struck a deal with them to smuggle him across the border, Kohanek said.

Flores then told police he was kidnapped, for unknown reasons, by the couple while he was in Tijuana. He said he was blindfolded, tied up and taken on a long drive to an unknown location, Kohanek said.

When he realized they were at a gas station, he tried to escape through a window and was stabbed by the man as witnesses noticed a commotion, Kohanek said.

"We believe it was a human-trafficking incident and for some reason an argument or assault occurred during transport," Kohanek said.

Flores was taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The couple fled northbound on Beach Boulevard in a 2000 white Dodge Caravan with California license 5YNY592, Kohanek said.

Police were unable to find the registered owner of the van at a Los Angeles residence.

During the investigation, police discovered Flores had a criminal history and had been a deported felon. Kohanek said Flores was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and will be returned to Mexico.

Kohanek said Buena Park police turned over the findings of their investigation to Tijuana police.