Authorities reached out to the public Thursday for help in identifying four men who abducted and shot a pair of border-crossers in Otay Mesa, killing one of them.
Cal Fire personnel came across the surviving victim about three miles east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry early on the afternoon of July 28, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
The wounded man told authorities he and a friend had been confronted by four other men the previous night after crossing through a gap in the border fence.
The group demanded to know whom the travelers had paid to gain entry to the U.S., sheriff’s Sgt. Tim Chantler said. When the victims replied that they had not paid anyone, the perpetrators forced them to walk up a mountainside, ordered them to their knees and shot them.
After the killers left, the surviving victim checked on his friend, finding him dead. He then walked along the border fence until he ran into the firefighters, Chantler said.
Based on his descriptions, a law enforcement sketch artist created renderings of three of the perpetrators.
Above, the suspects are described as:
- Left, the shooter, a Hispanic man standing about 5’7″ tall with a skinny build. He was wearing a backwards FOX hat.
- Center, a Hispanic man between 35 and 40 years old, standing about 5’9″ tall with a medium build.
- Right, a Hispanic man between 25 and 30 years old, standing about 5’9″ tall with a skinny build.
Investigators believe the wanted men may be associated with the Hotel Libertad in Tijuana, Chantler said.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
– City News Service
