NPR | Two of the three people charged with killing a Hispanic man and his daughter in Arizona had ties to a group that strongly opposes illegal immigration.
Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik says the motive behind the killings was robbery — and he believes the money was to fund the suspects' anti-immigration activity.
Raul Flores, 29, and his 9-year-old daughter were shot in the head May 30 after a group of people dressed in camouflage entered their home in the small southern Arizona town of Arivaca. The girl was apparently shot because she was a witness. Her mother, whose name is not being released, was shot in the leg.
The woman was on the phone with a 911 operator when the attackers returned. She had a pistol and fired at the attackers. She wounded one man, but the group got away. Then late last week, Dupnik announced the three arrests and discussed the motive.
"The husband who was murdered has a history of being involved in narcotics and there was an anticipation that there would be a considerable amount of cash at this location, as well as the possibility of drugs," Dupnik said.
One of the three suspects lived in the area. But the other two, Shawna Forde and Jason Bush, are leaders of an anti-illegal-immigrant group in Washington state called Minutemen American Defense. Its Web site says it secures the U.S. border from human and drug trafficking.
Three years ago, Forde appeared on a local PBS TV program in Yakima, Wash. "I know the Minutemen and many other organizations will not stop," Forde said. "We will start at a local level and work our way up. We will not stop until we get the results that we need to have."
The two largest Minuteman organizations — the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and the Minuteman Project — said Forde and Bush are not associated with them.
Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik says the motive behind the killings was robbery — and he believes the money was to fund the suspects' anti-immigration activity.
Raul Flores, 29, and his 9-year-old daughter were shot in the head May 30 after a group of people dressed in camouflage entered their home in the small southern Arizona town of Arivaca. The girl was apparently shot because she was a witness. Her mother, whose name is not being released, was shot in the leg.
The woman was on the phone with a 911 operator when the attackers returned. She had a pistol and fired at the attackers. She wounded one man, but the group got away. Then late last week, Dupnik announced the three arrests and discussed the motive.
"The husband who was murdered has a history of being involved in narcotics and there was an anticipation that there would be a considerable amount of cash at this location, as well as the possibility of drugs," Dupnik said.
One of the three suspects lived in the area. But the other two, Shawna Forde and Jason Bush, are leaders of an anti-illegal-immigrant group in Washington state called Minutemen American Defense. Its Web site says it secures the U.S. border from human and drug trafficking.
Three years ago, Forde appeared on a local PBS TV program in Yakima, Wash. "I know the Minutemen and many other organizations will not stop," Forde said. "We will start at a local level and work our way up. We will not stop until we get the results that we need to have."
The two largest Minuteman organizations — the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and the Minuteman Project — said Forde and Bush are not associated with them.
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