Illegal immigrant rescues boy in desert

paulney

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2003
6,909
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PHOENIX - A 9-year-old boy looking for help after his mother crashed their van in the southern Arizona desert was rescued by a man entering the U.S. illegally, who stayed with him until help arrived the next day, an official said.

The 45-year-old woman, who eventually died while awaiting help, had been driving on a U.S. Forest Service road in a remote area just north of the Mexican border when she lost control of her van on a curve on Thanksgiving, Sheriff Tony Estrada said.

The van vaulted into a canyon and landed 300 feet from the road, he said. The woman, from Rimrock, north of Phoenix, survived the impact but was pinned inside, Estrada said.

Her son, unhurt but disoriented, crawled out to get help and was found about two hours later by Jesus Manuel Cordova, 26, of Magdalena de Kino in the northern Mexican state of Sonora. Unable to pull the mother out, he comforted the boy while they waited for help.

The woman died a short time later.

"He stayed with him, told him that everything was going to be all right," Estrada said.

As temperatures dropped, he gave him a jacket, built a bonfire and stayed with him until about 8 a.m. Friday, when hunters passed by and called authorities, Estrada said. The boy was flown to University Medical Center in Tucson as a precaution but appeared unhurt.

Cordova was taken into custody by Border Patrol agents, who were the first to respond to the call for help. He had been trying to walk into the U.S. when he came across the boy.

The boy and his mother were in the area camping, Estrada said. The woman's husband, the boy's father, had died only two months ago. The names of the woman and her son were not being released until relatives were notified.

Cordova likely saved the boy, Estrada said, and his actions should remind people not to quickly characterize illegal immigrants as criminals.

"They do get demonized for a lot of reasons, and they do a lot of good. Obviously this is one example of what an individual can do," he said.

I hope they drove the guy back to Mexico without any further questions. Yes, he was entering illegally, but hey - he didn't walk past the boy, but saved a life and most likely saved him from a severe psychological trauma. The least he deserves is having the authorities give him a ride home without any hassle.

 
Oct 19, 2000
17,860
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Originally posted by: paulney
The least he deserves is having the authorities give him a ride home without any hassle.

Agreed. Take him back over and tell him to just get out of the car and go back home. Nothing more, nothing less.
 

paulney

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2003
6,909
1
0
Originally posted by: OdiN
The least he deserves is to be tossed in jail.

He could have easily continued on, and none would be the wiser. He chose to stay and watch out after the boy until some form of rescue arrived. That counts for a lot in my book. I'd like to know how many people you saved while jeopardizing your own future.
 

Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
15,395
78
91
Originally posted by: paulney
PHOENIX - A 9-year-old boy looking for help after his mother crashed their van in the southern Arizona desert was rescued by a man entering the U.S. illegally, who stayed with him until help arrived the next day, an official said.

The 45-year-old woman, who eventually died while awaiting help, had been driving on a U.S. Forest Service road in a remote area just north of the Mexican border when she lost control of her van on a curve on Thanksgiving, Sheriff Tony Estrada said.

The van vaulted into a canyon and landed 300 feet from the road, he said. The woman, from Rimrock, north of Phoenix, survived the impact but was pinned inside, Estrada said.

Her son, unhurt but disoriented, crawled out to get help and was found about two hours later by Jesus Manuel Cordova, 26, of Magdalena de Kino in the northern Mexican state of Sonora. Unable to pull the mother out, he comforted the boy while they waited for help.

The woman died a short time later.

"He stayed with him, told him that everything was going to be all right," Estrada said.

As temperatures dropped, he gave him a jacket, built a bonfire and stayed with him until about 8 a.m. Friday, when hunters passed by and called authorities, Estrada said. The boy was flown to University Medical Center in Tucson as a precaution but appeared unhurt.

Cordova was taken into custody by Border Patrol agents, who were the first to respond to the call for help. He had been trying to walk into the U.S. when he came across the boy.

The boy and his mother were in the area camping, Estrada said. The woman's husband, the boy's father, had died only two months ago. The names of the woman and her son were not being released until relatives were notified.

Cordova likely saved the boy, Estrada said, and his actions should remind people not to quickly characterize illegal immigrants as criminals.

"They do get demonized for a lot of reasons, and they do a lot of good. Obviously this is one example of what an individual can do," he said.

I hope they drove the guy back to Mexico without any further questions. Yes, he was entering illegally, but hey - he didn't walk past the boy, but saved a life and most likely saved him from a severe psychological trauma. The least he deserves is having the authorities give him a ride home without any hassle.

As I understand things that is pretty much what happens anyway. Before illegal immigration became a hot button issue they may even have let him go with an order to appear back for court on a specified date. He will probably be sent back across very quickly and then turn around and come back in.
 

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
20
81
Originally posted by: yllus
Another soul saved by Jesus.
Ahaha....hah.......hm.





Great, the guy sounds helpful. Send him back home, with the proper forms he'll need to come over here legally.
 

mordantmonkey

Diamond Member
Dec 23, 2004
3,075
5
0
Originally posted by: Jeff7
Originally posted by: yllus
Another soul saved by Jesus.
Ahaha....hah.......hm.





Great, the guy sounds helpful. Send him back home, with the proper forms he'll need to come over here legally.

yeah, during the 10 years he's waiting, maybe he'll be able to make it over illegally.
 

Xylitol

Diamond Member
Aug 28, 2005
6,617
0
76
Sounds like a good guy, but he's still a criminal for being an illegal
Shouldn't be detained or anything - just shipped back to Mexico
 

Jschmuck2

Diamond Member
Jul 13, 2005
5,623
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I'll tell you what's happening here - this illegal immigrant is taking jobs away from the decent, blue collar, hard working search and rescue personnel our country was founded on. If these border hopping, illegal job thieves had any decency whatsoever, they'd have left that young boy there to die.
 

Xylitol

Diamond Member
Aug 28, 2005
6,617
0
76
Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
I'll tell you what's happening here - this illegal immigrant is taking jobs away from the decent, blue collar, hard working search and rescue personnel our country was founded on. If these border hopping, illegal job thieves had any decency whatsoever, they'd have left that young boy there to die.

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard even though I'm including sarcasm in my judgement
 

Throckmorton

Lifer
Aug 23, 2007
16,829
3
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Originally posted by: Jeff7
Originally posted by: yllus
Another soul saved by Jesus.
Ahaha....hah.......hm.





Great, the guy sounds helpful. Send him back home, with the proper forms he'll need to come over here legally.

Immigrating to the US legally is nearly impossible unless you have a lot of money saved up. You can't work until you get a green card, which can take years. Of course you can break the law and work while waiting...
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
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Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Originally posted by: Jeff7
Originally posted by: yllus
Another soul saved by Jesus.
Ahaha....hah.......hm.





Great, the guy sounds helpful. Send him back home, with the proper forms he'll need to come over here legally.

Immigrating to the US legally is nearly impossible unless you have a lot of money saved up. You can't work until you get a green card, which can take years. Of course you can break the law and work while waiting...

I think this is the problem with our illegal immigration situation. Most people don't understand WHY they come here illegally. It certainly isn't because they're just too lazy to fill out a form.
 

mordantmonkey

Diamond Member
Dec 23, 2004
3,075
5
0
Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Originally posted by: Jeff7
Originally posted by: yllus
Another soul saved by Jesus.
Ahaha....hah.......hm.





Great, the guy sounds helpful. Send him back home, with the proper forms he'll need to come over here legally.

Immigrating to the US legally is nearly impossible unless you have a lot of money saved up. You can't work until you get a green card, which can take years. Of course you can break the law and work while waiting...

um, that's the way it is planned. we don't need anymore uneducated poor people here. plus if we put the financial strictures high enough but the borders open enough, we can still have a non-citizen, non-rights holding population that can feed the need for cheap labor. and if they cause too much fuss they can be shipped back no questions asked.
people complain that the system is broken, but it appears to be working just fine by my account. homes get built, dishes get washed, kids get nannied, offices get cleaned, all at rock bottom prices. it's the free market way.
 

Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
15,395
78
91
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Originally posted by: Jeff7
Originally posted by: yllus
Another soul saved by Jesus.
Ahaha....hah.......hm.





Great, the guy sounds helpful. Send him back home, with the proper forms he'll need to come over here legally.

Immigrating to the US legally is nearly impossible unless you have a lot of money saved up. You can't work until you get a green card, which can take years. Of course you can break the law and work while waiting...

I think this is the problem with our illegal immigration situation. Most people don't understand WHY they come here illegally. It certainly isn't because they're just too lazy to fill out a form.

Grant that what you say is true that does not give anyone the right to ignore our laws and come in illegally jumping ahead of the folks that go about it the right way. The only reason we have gotten into this situation is because both political parties sense an advantage to themselves by doing nothing to change the status quo regarding immigration laws and their enforcement. What ever those rules are now and may be in the future is up to the citizens of the US and their elected representatives to decide. It is a right that every other country on this planet sets for themselves and if you don't believe it just try and go live and work without permission in Mexico, or any Central or South American country that currently make living conditions so miserable for large numbers of their citizens that they are willing to leave everything behind to come to the US illegally.
 

Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
34,543
651
126
Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
I'll tell you what's happening here - this illegal immigrant is taking jobs away from the decent, blue collar, hard working search and rescue personnel our country was founded on. If these border hopping, illegal job thieves had any decency whatsoever, they'd have left that young boy there to die.

Wrong. More like they perform the jobs that no one else will do and why your food is as cheap as it is.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
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Originally posted by: Linflas

Grant that what you say is true that does not give anyone the right to ignore our laws and come in illegally jumping ahead of the folks that go about it the right way. The only reason we have gotten into this situation is because both political parties sense an advantage to themselves by doing nothing to change the status quo regarding immigration laws and their enforcement. What ever those rules are now and may be in the future is up to the citizens of the US and their elected representatives to decide. It is a right that every other country on this planet sets for themselves and if you don't believe it just try and go live and work without permission in Mexico, or any Central or South American country that currently make living conditions so miserable for large numbers of their citizens that they are willing to leave everything behind to come to the US illegally.

I absolutely agree. If our politicians think that our country benefits from their being here, then they need to change the laws so they can come here legally. We don't need people driving around with no insurance and fearing that if they have a run in with the police they'll be deported. It's not a good situation.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
I'll tell you what's happening here - this illegal immigrant is taking jobs away from the decent, blue collar, hard working search and rescue personnel our country was founded on. If these border hopping, illegal job thieves had any decency whatsoever, they'd have left that young boy there to die.

Wrong. More like they perform the jobs that no one else will do and why your food is as cheap as it is.

Dude, he was being sarcastic. :laugh: