Pinal County pursuit leads to capture of undocumented immigrants

COOLIDGE, AZ - Four undocumented immigrants have been turned over to Border Patrol agents after Pinal County Sheriff's deputies tried to stop a vehicle in Coolidge Friday.

Pinal County Sheriff's Office spokesman Tim Gaffney said in an e-mail that a deputy attempted to stop a Chevy pickup truck at Steele Road and Highway 87 for an equipment violation around 7:45 a.m.

The driver of the truck failed to stop and continued traveling at 45 to 50 mph.

A pursuit was initiated and the vehicle drove for about four more miles, ignoring deputies with lights and sirens activated.

Gaffney said when the vehicle was about a mile from the Coolidge Airport, the driver stopped and 20 people exited and ran in different directions.

With the help of officers from the Coolidge Police Department and U.S. Border Patrol, four of the individuals were taken into custody when they were found hiding in nearby brush.

The individuals said they were with a group of 20 people who had entered the country illegally. The four said they were from Durango, Mexico.

The captured undocumented immigrants were turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol. The vehicle was impounded by the Pinal County Sheriff's Office.