DEPUTIES ARREST 5 IN VIOLENT ROBBERY / AMONGST THOSE ARRESTED - 2 SOCORRO FD FIREFIGHTERS

**DELAYED RELEASE DUE TO ONGOING INVESTIGATION**

RELEASE DATE / TIME : 09-05-10 11:00 am

EL PASO COUNTY, TX-  Friday night 09-03-10 at 10:30 PM, Sheriff’s Deputies were called to the area of the 1200 block of Colina De Oro, El Paso County, Texas, in reference to a fight in progress. Deputies arrived and met with 3 male subjects / reporters who told authorities they had been confronted by several males driving a Jeep Cherokee near the residence where the subjects began trying to pick a fight with them. The reporters advised Deputies that they all ran away but one of their friends (19 year-old male Victim) was unable to elude the subjects & apparently had been forced into the Jeep Cherokee.

Deputies searched the area for several minutes. At approximately 11:15 pm, an assisting constable unit conducted a traffic stop on a Green Jeep Cherokee which led into the desert area behind Timothy Dr., El Paso County, Texas. The Jeep Cherokee had five occupants in the vehicle (the Victim was not in the vehicle). Responding units arrived shortly after & took all 5 into custody. After an extensive search the Victim was located back home as Deputies learned the Victim had walked home. The Victim told Deputies the subjects had tried to force him into a vehicle but he was able to resist which resulted in violently assaulted by the 5 subjects with punches, kicks, beer bottles, and rocks. The Victim went on to say the subjects struck him with a large brick to the right side of his face. According to Deputies, the Victim – fearing for his life lied on the ground & acted as if he were dead, hoping the subjects would stop striking him. The Victim stated that the subjects then drove away in the Green Jeep Cherokee but took his wallet prior to leaving. The Victim had serious injuries / swelling about his face & body.

All 5 occupants of the Jeep Cherokee were positively identified as the assailants. Further investigation revealed 3 of the subjects are brothers in which 2 were identified as Fire Fighters for the Socorro Volunteer Fire Dept. Both had radio’s with Emergency Services / Sheriff’s Office frequencies & pagers - All items were recovered. All subjects were arrested & charged with AGGRAVATED ROBBERY. They were identified as:

ALEJANDRO SOTO-SANDOVAL (19)

AGGRAVATED ROBBERY: $10,000 BOND

  The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office in March of 2001 was the first Sheriff’s Office in   the State of Texas to be Internationally Accredited from CALEA and is now the recipient of the First CALEA Tri-Arc award in Texas (4^th in the Nation) to have accreditations in: Law Enforcement, Communications, Training Academy.