Pima County Sheriff’s Department Identifies One Victim from Border Crossing Double Homicide in Eloy

This was just posted this afternoon from the Pima County Sheriff's Office in Arizona. One of the victims killed this weekend in Eloy, Arizona  by "unknown number of subjects in camouflage clothing armed with rifles," is a Mexican national. He has been identified as Gerardo Pérez-Ruiz, 39 years old. The second victim is believed to be Guatemalan, but the PCSO has yet to confirm this.

On April 8, 2012, at approximately 10:35 p.m., agents from the Casa Grande Border Patrol Station, Eloy Police Department, and Coolidge Police Department responded to the Eagle Ranch located at the south end of South Night Sky Street, south of West Antares Drive, in Eloy, Arizona. The response was in reference to shots being fired at an illegal alien smuggling load.

Upon arrival, the law enforcement agencies determined that there was one deceased person in the bed of a pickup truck and a second deceased subject in a wash northeast of the pickup truck. Several border crossers were located hiding in the brush nearby. It was determined that the incident had occurred in Pima County.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department received information and a request to respond to the scene. Pima County Sheriff’s Homicide Unit detectives also responded. It was determined that approximately 20-30 border crossers were traveling in a pickup truck in a wash that is commonly used for human smuggling. They were ambushed by an unknown number of subjects in camouflage clothing armed with rifles. Shots were fired at the pickup truck at which time two adult males were fatally struck.

One of the victims is identified as Gerardo Perez-Ruiz (DOB 11/02/72). Mr. Perez-Ruiz was a Mexican National from San Jose Del Rincon in Toluca, Mexico.

The second victim is believed to be Guatemalan. He is still not being identified pending next of kin notification.