Posted on 03/21/2003 9:14:39 AM PST by Technoman
HEBBRONVILLE, Texas – A pair of Ranch Rescue volunteers arrested here Wednesday are facing two felony charges each, Texas Department of Public Safety officials say.
As WorldNetDaily reported yesterday, Casey Nethercutt of California and Hank Conner of Louisiana were arrested by Texas Ranger Sgt. Doyle Holdridge and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a weapon and two counts of unlawful restraint for allegedly pistol-whipping and detaining a Salvadoran man and his wife early Wednesday morning.
Nethercutt and Conner were part of a four-man detachment from Ranch Rescue – a property-rights activist group – which was led by Texas chapter head and national spokesman Jack Foote. The four-man contingent, at the request of rancher Joe Sutton, was here to prevent criminal trespassers from crossing Sutton's property.
Law enforcement and other sources say the men are being held in a detention facility in nearby Falfurrias. Officials said yesterday that bond for each man had been set at $200,000. The men were expected to be arraigned in Hebbronville this morning.
Holdridge told WorldNetDaily that the Salvadoran couple – a man and woman described as being in their mid-20s, but whose names have not yet been released – bore some visible physical signs of injury. After Nethercutt and Conner were apprehended, the Salvadoran couple picked the men out of a photo array, said the arresting officer.
Foote said the charges are bogus. He said he and his team "never touched" the couple, "except to pat them down and search them for weapons" after discovering them lying down in brush early Wednesday morning around 1 a.m. He says he has pictures to prove it, although they weren't available at publication time.
After Nethercutt and Conner searched the two Salvadorans, said Foote, they "were taken by van" to the front of Sutton's property, which is guarded by a heavy, steel, sliding gate that remains locked along Hwy. 16.
In the interim, said Foote, the U.S. Border Patrol – which mans an inspection station about seven miles north of Sutton's ranch – was notified to come pick up the Salvadorans. But after waiting around 45 minutes, Sutton grew impatient and ordered his detachment to simply open the front gate and release the Salvadoran couple, said Foote.
The Border Patrol arrived about 10 minutes later, said Foote. Sources told WND the Salvadoran couple eventually turned themselves in to Border Patrol officers, but agency officials would not confirm that.
Border Patrol spokesmen in Hebbronville and Laredo had no comment, except to say the case was being handled by Texas authorities.
It was unclear how the Salvadorans' testimony was obtained; neither Holdridge nor Jim Hogg County Sheriff's Department officials would say. Holdridge did say Wednesday, however, that the Salvadoran couple did not swear out a complaint.
"I filed charges on behalf of the state of Texas," he told WND.
In addition to legal problems, Nethercutt, who is in his mid-30s, and Conner, who was described as being nearly 60, have experienced health problems since being incarcerated. Officials say Nethercutt is suffering complications from pancreatitis, while Conner is suffering from chronic high blood pressure.
Authorities allowed volunteers to bring Conner medicine early yesterday, but refused to allow them to visit Nethercutt. Officials were also unclear as to whether Nethercutt had been taken for treatment to an area hospital or whether he was being treated on-site at a detention center health facility.
Foote says he is confident the men will be exonerated, but believes they will have to endure a lengthy court battle to prove their innocence. He also said he is having difficulty raising bail money and that he asked Sutton to help, but that he refused.
Although the current "mission" on Sutton's ranch is over, Foote pledges that the incident won't permanently damage Ranch Rescue.
"We just have to pick our battles," he said. "Right now, I just want to get these guys out of jail."
Well he just couldnt have been talking about illegals. Those guys cant do any wrong around here. Enter illegally, ignore rules and regulations that citizens have to follow, evade taxes, ruin private property, suck off our welfare, sell some drugs, kill someone and run back to mexico, its all good.
Just dont you do any of those things. As a citizen you have to follow the laws.
Never be done..This administration wants them to come in..The border only needs a welcome wagon to be complete
It is YOUR assumption that they broke a law..it is not mine.
I believe this is harrassment of a grand magnitude to discourage this group.
What I am saying is that you have to be very, very careful with a citizens arrest. By the very admission of Foote, "he and his team "never touched" the couple, "except to pat them down and search them for weapons" after discovering them lying down in brush early Wednesday morning around 1 a.m. " - that is a de facto citizens arrest, and you have to witness a felony in progress to have the authority in Texas to make one. I have said for some time that I support the actions of the Border Groups, but I think they have to be extremely careful to not give their opponents opportunity to come down on them - because they will.
Perhaps not, but they are unlawfully infesting the U.S. in huge numbers at the behest of their own corrupt governments and are sucking the lifeblood out of this country like a great horde of hungry ticks. They need to be dealt with, not ignored as this admninistration is doing. Seems that international immigration matters have been kicked loose by the losers in D.C. and turned over to local authorities, tinhorn cops, traitors, and Mechista infested city councils. That's unacceptable.
Put it in cool water and gradually bring it to a boil and it will be dead before it realizes it
This country is being as surely invaded by a foreign army as if N.Korea or China floated their troops to our ports and came off guns ablazing
I believe the typical law regarding trespass is that you demand that they leave, and if they refuse, you call the cops. It's a misdemeanor offense, typically, whereas citizens arrest in Texas requires that you witness a felony in progress - and illegal entry is not automatically a felony.
(Or drug traffickers...or hey, illegals trafficking drugs)
Actually, that would be a felony in progress and actionable as citizens arrest - assuming that someone would want to take on a drug smuggler who is probably armed.
Hey, I'm with you - folks should be able to arrest someone in trespass. But the law aint' written that way, and these groups have too many political opponents just waiting for them to screw up to be dabbling with confronting illegals and patting them down. Best to observer, track, notify the Border Patrol and make good, solid publicity for the cause at hand.
Yes
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