Two residents in their early 20s were arrested on suspicion of vandalism in the early hours of Thursday, with one suspect found in possession of several different state identification cards.
Jonathan Moreno-Lara, 20, and Brandon Lugo, 18, were arrested near Stark Field, El Centro police announced. Moreno-Lara was found standing in a softball field.
Lugo was captured as he fled the area and jumped into the backyard of a nearby residence. He was found to have several different state identification cards in his wallet, the release notes.
Shortly after midnight El Centro police was notified of the incident by a driver who saw two suspects spray painting graffiti at Stark Field, according to El Centro police call logs.
Officers found fresh spray paint on the restroom and snack bar walls and on a portion of a fence surrounding the field.
“There was enough physical evidence to tie both suspects to the vandalism, so both were arrested,” said Cmdr. Jeff Mason.
The exact amount of damage to the field is still unknown and as of Thursday officers were looking for other places that might have been tagged.
— Alejandro Davila, adavila@ivpressonline.com
Trafficking suspects apprehended
CALEXICO — Calexico police encountered two convicted felons suspected of human trafficking during a routine traffic stop Tuesday afternoon.
Calexico police Officer Miguel Carbajal pulled over a vehicle for an unsafe turning movement when the car almost hit his patrol vehicle in the 600 block of De Las Flores Street around 1:30 p.m.
He then determined that the driver, Lee Jimenez, 27, and his passenger Rafael Martinez, 26, were both on parole for robbery. The officer observed three Hispanic males in the backseat wearing layers of dirty clothing, and they were later determined to be undocumented immigrants.
U.S. Border Patrol agents took the men into custody, and the driver and passenger will be facing federal prosecution. The vehicle was seized.
— Chelcey Adami, cadami@ivpressonline.com
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