Posted on 04/27/2007 7:40:13 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
The 21-year-old man accused of shooting a Border Patrol agent in Laredo was captured by Mexican authorities in the pre-dawn hours Thursday as he tried to sneak into La Zona Roja, they said. Jordan Andrew Davidson, a U.S. citizen, was turned over to U.S. federal authorities at International Bridge I at about 10:30 a.m. and was taken to the Laredo Police Department.
He is charged with attempted capital murder of a federal law enforcement officer. He was being held without bond at Webb County jail late Thursday.
At police headquarters, Davidson had little to say to reporters, generally ignoring questions and turning away from cameras.
At the Nuevo Laredo police station, however, he was more vocal and asked reporters, in a combination of English and broken Spanish, what was going to happen to him. He was told that nothing was going to happen to him in Mexican custody and that he was being sent back to the United States to face charges. He asked about “the murder rate here” and then made several disjointed comments and odd facial expressions.
Guillermo Landa, interim director of the Nuevo Laredo public safety department, said two city police officers spotted Davidson at about 5:45 a.m. as he was trying to scale the concrete wall surrounding the red-light district where legalized prostitution is allowed. When the two officers ordered him to stop, he took off running. He made several turns but was eventually trapped and secured by the officers, who recognized him from a bulletin that had been issued Wednesday night.
Davidson had a knife but no other weapon when he was arrested, Nuevo Laredo police said. He was taken to the Nuevo Laredo jail and was put in a cell by himself to ensure his safety, officials said, pending his transfer to the United States.
Back in Laredo, Laredo police spokesman Joe E. Baeza said a report from Nuevo Laredo officials that the man who shot the Border Patrol agent Wednesday had been injured in an exchange of gunfire was incorrect.
The agent who was wounded was identified Thursday as Jesus H. Aguilar, 28. He was in stable condition at Brooks Army Medical Center and scheduled to undergo surgery, officials said.
Aguilar was shot in the left hand but is expected to make a full recovery, Assistant Chief Agent Eduardo J. Martinez said. Aguilar is a four-year veteran of the Border Patrol.
Chief Border Patrol Agent Carlos X. Carrillo said Aguilar was responding to a sensor that had been set off while on the banks of the Rio Grande.
“The agent came into contact with Mr. Davidson to discern what it was he was doing there, and his citizenship,” Carrillo said. “At that point, Mr. Davidson reached into his pocket and drew a weapon and began firing at the officer.”
Martinez said Davidson then fled and Aguilar’s partner pursued the suspect on foot. The agent could not apprehend the attacker, who escaped into the brush.
Carrillo said the weapon Davidson used was a semi-automatic handgun, but provided no further details.
Carrillo said there have been 26 assaults on Border Patrol agents in the area since October 2006, eight of which involved arms of some sort.
He said it is unknown whether Davidson was working with, or for, any other parties. As of Thursday morning, the investigation had not yielded any evidence showing Davidson’s connection to any organized-crime element, he said.
A car that Laredo police said Davidson drove to the area where the shooting occurred, a gold-colored Honda sedan, was taken to a Laredo police lot. It contained a checkbook belonging to Davidson, which listed his city of residence as Bryan. The car also contained a backpack, bottles of water and a Laredo street map. There was a Texas A&M sticker on the rear window.
The admissions department at the university could not be reached to determine whether Davidson is a student at the university at College Station.
(To reach Julian Aguilar, call 728-2547 or e-mail jaguilar@lmtonline.com)
Jordan, there's a gate!!
We got cooperation from the Mexicans — he was returned because he wasn’t from LaRaza.
Ping!
Not listed at A&M!
‘he was trying to scale the concrete wall surrounding the red-light district where legalized prostitution is allowed.’
Evidently he wasn’t clear on the concept of La Zona.
Hub City PING
Roger that.
(Not that I know anything about that sort of thing)
I guess Aquilar's partner didn't return fire or he would be up on charges now, and the suspect would be granted immunity.
I claim no knowledge of NL’s red zone. Don’t ask me about Villa Cuna, tho...
Ping!
A few years ago “Boys Town” caught on fire. The Del Rio fire dept helped to put out the fire.
This guy would have a time climbing over Boy’s Town wall. In my day, it had bottles stuck neck down in the cement on top of the wall, with their bottoms busted out. The glass would have cut him to ribbons.
Charges in shooting: Man accused of attempted capital murder of federal agent
By JULIAN AGUILAR, LAREDO MORNING TIMES
04/28/2007
The man accused of shooting a border patrol agent Wednesday has been formally charged with attempted capital murder of a federal law enforcement agent.Jordan Andrew Davidson, 21, of Ransom Canyon, went before U.S. Magistrate Diana Saldaña Friday morning where he was charged and denied bond, a spokesman for the judge said.
Also on Friday, a Texas A&M official said Davidson is not a student at the university. A Honda sedan, which authorities said belonged to Davidson and was found at the scene, contained a checkbook that showed Davidson had an address in Bryan, as well as textbooks and a university sticker. The public affairs office said they could find no record of Davidson ever having attended the school.
A detention hearing for Davidson is scheduled for May 4, when he will appear before U.S. Magistrate Adriana Arce-Flores.
(To reach Julian Aguilar, call 728-2547 or e-mail jaguilar@lmtonline.com)
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