Orange County Register

Man claims illegal status to evade charges

SANTA ANA – A man misidentified himself, claiming to be in the country illegally to evade attempted homicide charges in Santa Ana, Border Patrol agents reported today.

This morning, border agents in the Ajo Station in the Tucson, Ariz., sector arrested a man who was hanging out with a group of people in an area known for drugs and human smuggling, agent David Jimarez said.

Adolfo Aparicio is accused of attempting to fatally shoot his wife in October in Santa Ana.

Officials said the man first misidentified himself and claimed to be in the country illegally, possibly hoping to be deported, instead of having to face charges for the attempted homicide of his wife in October in Santa Ana.

Santa Ana police identified the man as Adolfo Aparicio, 29, of Garden Grove.

It wasn’t until officials ran Aparicio’s fingerprints through a records check that they discovered his true identity and that he’s a U.S. citizen. The check also revealed a felony warrant for Aparicio’s arrest on charges of attempted murder. He will be extradited from Arizona to face charges in California.

“The fingerprints never lie,” Jimarez said.

Aparicio is a documented gang member who assaulted his wife and sister-in-law Oct. 23, Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.

Police initially responded to a domestic violence call in Santa Ana where they saw the two injured women, before they went looking for Aparicio at his home in Garden Grove.

While there, someone told them Aparicio had left with a gun in hand. Soon after, they got a call of shots fired at the Santa Ana residence, Bertagna said. Police soon discovered the woman was shot at but not hit. Police said Aparicio soon left the area. The District Attorney’s office soon issued a warrant for his arrest, Bertagna said.

Jimarez said agents have seen an increase in people with criminal backgrounds claiming to be in the country illegally so to avoid charges in the U.S.

HERE