Coroner: Meth played role in Mexican border stun gun death
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
SAN YSIDRO — Methamphetamine abuse and hypertension contributed to the death of a 32-year-old Mexican who was shocked with a stun gun in a fight with federal agents at the San Ysidro border crossing, the county coroner’s office ruled.
Anastacio Hernandez-Rojas died at about 6:10 p.m. Saturday, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office, which listed the cause of death as “anoxic encephalopathy due to resuscitated cardiac arrest due to acute myocardial infarct.”
That apparently means he died of a heart attack and was resuscitated but had no brain activity. The Mexican Consul in San Diego condemned the in-custody death, saying U.S. agents used excessive force in subduing the man as he was being deported.
Relatives said Hernandez-Rojas lived illegally in San Diego County for about 20 years before he got into trouble and was deported. He was caught, along with his brother, trying to get back into the United States via the mountains east of Tijuana.
San Diego police said Border Patrol agents arrested the men on Otay Mountain and brought them to the San Ysidro station for processing. Hernandez-Rojas signed papers agreeing to be returned to Mexico.
At the gate leading to Mexico, agents removed the man’s handcuffs and he became violent about 9:15 p.m., Collins said.
“The agents and the subject all fell to the ground during the fight, and the agents radioed for assistance,” San Diego police spokesman Jim Collins stated.
Customs and Border Protection agents joined the struggle, and a CBP agent fired a Taser at Hernandez-Rojas, he said. Hernandez-Rojas stopped breathing, police said.
Agents began cardiopulmonary resuscitation and called paramedics.
The National Human Rights Commission in Mexico accused Border Patrol agents of beating Hernandez-Rios, and the foreign ministry in Mexico City has demanded an explanation from San Diego and federal authorities, according to Tijuana newspapers.
City News Service staff wrote and edited this story.
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Comment by: What a bunch of crap Posted: June 2, 2010, 12:44 pm
What a bunch of crap. If he was on drugs, then any number of things could of killed him. How DARE MEXICO for not taking care of their own. Oh, and now they are all the sudden concerned about a drug addict that has died! Give me a break, the NERVE of MEXICO! This case simply gives them ammunition to fire back politically against America in any way that Mexico can think of.
Comment by: What a bunch of crap Posted: June 2, 2010, 12:48 pm
Oh, and forget the fact that the Police officers have families to go home to, also. Forget the fact that this VIOLENT immigrant was trying to attack and HURT the officers simply because they were doing their job. Yeah, lets focus on the druggy bum’s losses and not the fact that he very well could of seriously injured an officer (Yes, officers are human beings) and lets just focus on the poor illegal, money grabbing, drug overdosing immigrant. This has nothing to do with RACE. It has EVERYTHING to do with working hard for what you get, and not getting HANDOUTS!
Comment by: YNSR Posted: June 2, 2010, 2:26 pm
HOW ABOUT YOU YOU DONT USE DRUGS NEVER OR YOUR FRIENDS STOP COMPLAINING AND STOP USING DRUGS
Comment by: judy Posted: June 2, 2010, 3:44 pm
Don’t you mean “Meth played a role in Mexican border stun gun death” ?????
Comment by: Howard Huge Posted: June 2, 2010, 3:44 pm
This guy was a drug user, came into the US illegally multiple times, and was fighting with officers. Are the officers supposed to just take the beating and smile?
Comment by: Ordyne Posted: June 2, 2010, 6:36 pm
But if he died at 6:10 pm. Then how is it that they tassed him at 9:15 pm?… Were they trying to deport a dead man to Mexico and then somehow he came back to life to become violent with tha agents and then they had to subdue him by tassing him… although the tasser had nothing to do with his death, because he was already dead at 6:10 pm. Man what a story!!!
Comment by: craig Posted: June 2, 2010, 8:04 pm
To the people who posted these comments- Do you have anything better to do than make comments about matters you know nothing about? Really, could you be more ignorant? This goes beyond an immigration issue, a man may have been murdered. About the allegations of drug use and him becoming violent, did it occur to any of you intelectuals that it could be a cover up story put out by the border patrol in order to cover their misconduct? As for the Mexican government’s actions, do you not know there are frequent documented cases of abuse by the border patrol which the Mexican consulate does not get involved with at this magnitude, this should be a sign that there is definite reason to believe there was some sort of misconduct. I’m not saying it was one way or the other, unlike you I refuse to hide behind an anonymous post, but for those of you with such strong and equally uneducated opinions, do yourselves a favor and keep them to yourselves.
Comment by: Mike Stevens Posted: June 2, 2010, 8:46 pm
We need to criminalize the exploitive employers and not the workers. For too long American illegal-hiring-employers have benefited from the broken immigration system damaging both Mexico and USA. These shameless employers routinely take full page ads in Mexico and recruit workers and promising the world. Mexico and US don’t have the funds to stop them. Labor conditions in the US worsen and the workers themselves get isolated from their families. Then the American Companies flood the Mexican economy with below market products thereby damaging Mexico’s economy. It’s a vicious circle. To top it off these companies run professional PR campaigns to pin people against eachother while they go straight to the bank for their next gig.
Comment by: Mike Stevens Posted: June 3, 2010, 12:42 am
… To Mr. Hernandez-Roja’s surviving wife, five kids and family: My condolences. My thoughts and prayers are with you on this tragic loss. I wish Mrs. Hernandez-Roja strength and energy in your persuit for justice, respect, and dignity.
Comment by: rmanflint Posted: June 3, 2010, 10:42 am
I was going to write what an idiot Craig was until I read where he told us to keep our comments to ourselves. Okay.
Comment by: C Posted: June 3, 2010, 11:20 am
Yay…
he lived illegally HERE for 20 years?
GOOD riddance.
Go back to Mexico if you love it so much.
Comment by: Jesse Posted: June 3, 2010, 11:43 am
Need I explain the “Use of Force” continuum? Was the individual was being combative? Yes. Are LEO’s allowed to pull out a baton on a combative person and subdue him? Yes. Did they? No. They actually used a lower level of force to keep the individual from doing further harm. Bleeding hearts around the world will always find fault in what LEO’s do on a daily basis, basically because they have no idea WHAT THEY DO ON A DAILY BASIS! It is unfortunate that they individual passed away but it is of no fault of the Agents. They applied exactly what they were taught and something bad happened. It is like blaming someone for driving cautiously down the road and hitting someone who jumps in front of the car. And as for these allegations that the BP is creating a story as a cover-up. Grow up. It’s not difficult to convince people that BP is bad, but just imagine our border towns without them. He was a felon, he was on drugs and he was combative. Even you sir would have done the same thing.
Comment by: Brad Gore Posted: June 3, 2010, 11:54 am
If I so much as flick a booger at a cop these days I WILL be tasered. If I happen to die NOBODY in the press is going to give a damn. An illegal alien gets violent, gets tasered and dies, and its a huge deal. Why? Because he had brown skin? Why do illegal mexicans have rights that citizens of this country don’t have? Liberals: the civil rights movement of the 60’s is long over. You cannot extend the same paradigm of rights to a violent tweaker felon from mexico and get away with it. What is your real agenda? Demonizing white America? Tearing down civil society and the rule of law? Imagine the shock if the Border Patrol starts doing its job and shoots back, clamps down on all illegal crossings.