AMHERST — All five illegal aliens who fled from a minivan on the Ohio Turnpike in Amherst on Friday have been arrested, according to the U.S. Border Patrol.
The five men — two from Honduras, two from Guatemala and a Mexican — fled from the van after it was pulled over by Border Patrol and ran south into a wooded area behind the Vermilion Valley Service Plaza. Amherst police and the Ohio State Highway patrol arrested three of the suspects within a few hours. Amherst police and Lorain County Sheriff’s deputies arrested the other two early Saturday morning.
All five were then turned over to the Border Patrol’s Sandusky Bay Station, according to a press release.
Melvin Hernandez, of Mexico, is charged with felony counts of transporting illegal aliens, according to the release.
See Tuesday’s edition of The Morning Journal for more on this story.
SEE STORY: Border Patrol searching area for illegal immigrants on the run
Monday, May 24, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
AMHERST, OH -- Five illegal immigrants were captured after an intense search took place on the Ohio Turnpike Friday morning.
After doing a routine cruise on the Ohio turnpike at approximately 9:55 am, the U.S. Border Patrol noticed a suspicious acting vehicle. Agents attempted to perform a vehicle stop near the Vermillion Valley Service Plaza, however, as the mini-van was pulling over, three passengers in the back seat bailed out and ran south into a heavily wooded area behind the plaza. Once the vehicle came to a complete stop, the driver and front passenger also bailed out of the van and began following the other three subjects in an attempt to escape Border Patrol agents.
Agents immediately contacted the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Great Lakes Air Branch and an AS-350 ASTAR Light Enforcement Helicopter was dispatched to the scene. Additionally, Border Patrol agents requested assistance from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Lorain County Sheriff’s Department, and Amherst Police Department in locating the fleeing subjects...
