A Mexican national wanted in the state of Washington on a charge of sexually assaulting a young girl turned himself in to authorities at the U.S.-Mexico border in New Mexico.
Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) took a Mexican national into custody the Santa Teresa port of entry over the weekend. Ernesto Luna-Tinajero of Acambaro. 29, Guanajuato, Mexico, presented himself to officers at the pedestrian crossing and informed them he believed he was wanted in Washington state, according to information provided to Breitbart Texas by the CBP. Officials confirmed the active warrant for sexual assault of a child and turned the man over to New Mexico State Police who will coordinate extradition to Washington.
Police in Arlington, Washington, have been searching for Luna-Tinajero for the alleged sexual assault of an 11-year-old, a QFox13 report stated. The Mexican national was said to have been known to the pre-teenage girl as a friend of the family. She called him “Uncle Netto,” detectives told the Washington news outlet.
“This child is going through an incredible amount of emotions and stress and needs to have this closure to have this person that she trusted, that she considered an uncle to her, that victimized her and needs to have that person in custody, away so that he doesn’t hurt anybody else or her,’ Kristin Banfield with the Arlington Police Department told reporters last week.
Authorities told reporters the details in the accusation against Luna-Tinajero were too graphic to detail. They said the man had confessed to molesting the girl prior to his disappearance. It is not known why he returned to the United States and surrendered.
QFox13 reporter David Rose posted on Facebook that Luna-Tinajero had worked as a landscaper before he fled to Mexico earlier this month.
Arlington, Washington, is located about 50 miles north of Seattle.
Luna-Tinajero was one of nine fugitives wanted in the national crime database, NCIC, who were arrested at the Santa Teresa port of entry over the weekend.
“Homeland security is our priority mission,” said Hector Mancha, CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations, in the written statement from the CBP. “The inspections we perform to keep our nation secure often uncover people who are wanted by law enforcement. This is another way CBP helps keep our nation safe.”
In addition to the nine fugitive arrests, CBP officers in the El Paso Sector also stopped four drug loads, intercepted prohibited agricultural products in four separate incidents, and made three outbound seizures over the weekend. The other fugitive arrests and the content of the outbound seizures were not released at this time.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and is a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.
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