Patrol locates runaway, detains illegal alien

A 16-year-old runaway girl and an illegal alien who claimed to be a gang member were in Border Patrol custody Wednesday after being detained the night before at a Yuma bus station, the patrol said.

Authorities were in the process of reuniting the girl with her parents in California, who had previously reported the girl as running away from home, the patrol said in a news release.

The unidentified girl, a U.S. citizen, and the alien, a Mexican national, were located at the Greyhound bus station, 170 E. 17th Place, at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, said Ben Vik, a Border Patrol supervisory agent.

"He claims to be a gang member with the Sureno 13 gang. As far as we know, he does not have any criminal records in the U.S. He is a Mexican national and he is in the United States illegally.

"He is currently undergoing prosecution for immigration violation," Vik said Wednesday. "Today was his first court day and he was presented before the U.S. magistrate on immigration charges."

Vik described the Sureno 13 as a Southern California gang.

No other details were available from the patrol.

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Jennifer Lovell can be reached at jlovell@yumasun.com or 539-6849.