Posted on 06/05/2005 4:20:45 AM PDT by Happy2BMe
Suspect in cop's killing caught
By Fernando Quintero, David Montero and Marilyn Robinson, Rocky Mountain News
June 4, 2005
An intensive, international manhunt for a suspect gunman accused of killing one Denver police detective and wounding another came to an end with the arrest Saturday evening of Raul Garcia-Gomez in Mexico.
Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman said Garcia-Gomez, 19, was taken into custody at 6:10 p.m. MDT in Culiacan, Mexico, a town in the state of Sinaloa on the Pacific Coast near the resort city of Mazatlan. The FBI, U.S. Marshals and Mexican authorities worked together to make the arrest after receiving information that Garcia-Gomez might be staying with relatives on his father's side of the family.
Garcia-Gomez is suspected of shooting detectives Donald Young and John Bishop in the early morning hours of Sunday May 8. The two detectives were working security at a private baptismal party at which Garcia-Gomez attended. Young died from his injuries. Bishop survived, police say, because he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
A massive international manhunt from Denver to Las Vegas to Los Angeles and eventually Mexico had been going on for weeks since the shooting.
In addition to Garcia-Gomez, police have taken four others into custody in the United States, including a Denver man was arrested for accessory to first-degree murder. Jaime Arana del Angel will be formally charged on Monday, said District Attorney Mitch Morrissey.
Three people were arrested in Los Angeles and are being investigated on possible charges of harboring a fugitive, Whitman said. They are expected to remain jailed on immigration violations. The suspects there were identified Saturday evening as Garcia-Gomez's father, Mercedes Castaneda Gomez; his sister, Ayde Gomez; and Santiago Nicholas Hernandez, who police said is possibly the fugitive's uncle.
Authorities said Garcia-Gomez was arrested without incident after police went searching door-to-door for him. Whitman said the suspect had been "concealed" but declined to comment on what, if anything, he said when he was captured.
Garcia-Gomez was being held Saturday evening in a Mexican jail in Culiacan. He is expected to be moved to Mexico City sometime Sunday, where he will remain in custody of Mexican authorities. Morrisey said the process to determine where he will stand trial could be "long, complicated and laborious."
Garcia-Gomez's trial could be held in Denver or Mexico, although Mexico has a policy of not extraditing suspects for trials if the death penalty is possible. The District Attorney's Office is working with the State Department and Mexican authorities to determine the next step.
"There are only three options: One is to try and get him here from Mexico, two is to prosecute him in Mexico, and three would be to wait and see if he'd come back to the United States. Then we could proceed with making the determination of what would file on him and what the appropriate sentence we would seek. That decision hasn't been made."
Morrissey said seeking the death penalty was not an option because of Mexico's extradition policy. "Were going to negotiate what we can. I think its best to bring him back here and have him stand trial here. I've spoken with Donnie's widow and she agrees with me at this point," he said.
Whitman also reached out personally Saturday evening to Bishop to notify him of Garcia-Gomez's arrest.
Mayor John Hickenlooper, who attended the news conference Saturday evening where the arrests were announced, said he was relieved that the alleged cop killer had been caught.
"The entire city is relieved," he said. "This is the kind of event that takes on a symbolism beyond what any of us would have thought. This news is powerful to the city. Now it's time to bring this man to justice."
If memory serves me right this came about as a result of all the gang banging in the early 90s; Bloods and Crips. In fact consideration was given to cancelling World Youth Day in 1993 in Denver due to all the violence.
Hang 'em High!
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!
Be Ever Vigilant!
Minutemen Patriots ~ Bump!
Copy that...
But had a hard time finding the LATimes report...Here's the link. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-copkiller5jun05,1,1730535.story
The story omits the fact that this illegally-present killer worked at one of the mayor's restaurants.
"Mexico has a policy of not extraditing suspects for trials if the death penalty is possible."
The border ought to be completely blocked off until that policy is changed.
"The entire city is relieved," he said. "This is the kind of event that takes on a symbolism beyond what any of us would have thought. This news is powerful to the city. Now it's time to bring this man to justice."
"The killer has been caught, so the problem is completely solved, and you can re-elect me as your mayor for doing such a good job since justice will be done."
LOL. OK, but I feel like a radical. I am furious.
Apparently the decision was made because I heard it announced on KFI radio a couple of hours ago. U.S. officials have signed the extradition agreement for this turd and have agreed NOT to seek the death penalty OR life imprisonment. He's on his way back to the U.S., according to the report.
I am just sickened by this. As far as I am concerned, that police officer's blood on the hands of every U.S. politician who has been rolling over on immigration policies. That includes You-Know-Who, as well as the Denver mayor who owned that restaurant.
Maybe I am misunderstanding your point. But the 426 million people and 12 trillion in that article is not just Mexico but the combined population and GDP of the three NAFTA countries. Mexico by itself has a little over 100 million people and a GPD that cracked 1 trillion for the first time last year.
I agree with you that the $30 million of US Aide is fairly insignificant against a trillion dollar economy. But most of that $30 million gets pocketed by their corrupt leaders so that would be a significant pay cut for them.
Another case of illegal aliens enjoying superior rights to American citizens. You can bet your bottom dollar that if an American citizen in Denver shoots a cop in cold blood that the DA will be pushing for the needle.
Even illegal killers/criminals have more *rights* than our citizen killers/criminals.
Recently, Tyler,TX was FINALLY (after 6yrs.) to extradite one of mexico's killers, but only AFTER TX agreed to drop the death penalty/life punishment.
This invasion has gone way beyond ridiculous.
The more illegals that come into the country the more problems we have and you don't need a Doctorate's degree to put two and two together.
Another angry BUMP to the top
Exactly what I was thinking.
susie
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