Mother says torture used to try to get information on girl

 Torture was used by police to try to find a missing Yuma girl in Mexico, according to the girl's mother, who has come forward to tell her story about the December disappearance of Damaris Herrera Lopez.

  Chrystal Abren Lopez, mother of 10-year-old Damaris, alleged during an interview in her lawyer's office in San Luis Rio Colorado, Son., that police officers from both sides of the border were involved in the incident. However, the two officers named by Lopez deny there was any torture or abuse of her nephew, who lives in San Luis Rio Colorado, Son.

  Lopez said that in addition to the child's whereabouts, information about her son's alleged involvement in the disappearance was sought during the police questioning. Her son, Richard Alvarez, 18, is in the Yuma County jail and has been charged with custodial interference and fraud in the case.

  The mother claims San Luis Rio Colorado Police Commander Jesus Zamora and San Luis, Ariz., Police Sgt. Luis Marquez were involved in the abuse of her nephew, Gilberto Flores, who was picked up from his home in Mexico.

  According to Lopez, the commander was accompanied by the child's father, Reynado Gomez Herrera of Yuma, and Marquez, who was dressed in plain clothes. She alleges they took him to a deserted area, put a bag on his head, and beat and tortured him into a recorded confession about the girl's disappearance.

   When told about Lopez's allegations, Marquez acknowledged he was present when Flores was questioned in Mexico, but he did not participate in the Mexico investigation. He also said he was there only as a private family member because Damaris' father is his cousin.

   Herrera was afraid to cross into Mexico alone because of safety concerns, Marquez said. "I was there to accompany Herrera. We had nothing to do with the questioning. That is a lie (Lopez's allegation) - Officer Zamora did the official investigation."

  Marquez explained that they crossed into Mexico following a lead from a caller saying where Damaris could be found. He and Herrera were in their personal vehicle, and Zamora was in a patrol car. He said Mexican officials were in charge of the interviews and that there was no torture involved.

  "We had nothing to do with the investigation," Marquez reiterated.

  Capt. Javier Nuno, of the San Luis, Ariz., Police Department, said it was not unusual for officers from his department to go into Mexico, whether they are on or off-duty, and that he was aware that Marquez had accompanied Herrera that day.

  Nuno said as far as he knew, no formal written complaint had been filed with his department regarding the alleged torture.

  "If there was any misconduct by one of our officers, then (Lopez) needs to file a report. There has to be a report for us to follow up on, and then there is certain protocol that we follow."

  However, Nuno added, if the allegations turn out to be untrue, then Lopez could be charged with false reporting to a police officer.

  "Those are some pretty serious allegations," Nuno said.

  When asked about why Lopez would make such accusations, Marquez said they had already been warned by Flores that she was pressuring him into saying that they had obtained the confession through torture and that "he would suffer the consequences if he said otherwise."

   Commander Zamora also denied torturing Flores for information about Damaris' disappearance. He said that this is what Lopez is alleging in trying to get her son released in Yuma County.

  Zamora added that municipal police participation was in response to a notice of a missing minor "who was never really missing."

  "The investigation was coming from the United States. It was on television, in the media and we responded as outreach officers here in Mexico," explained Zamora, who also clarified that with the reappearance of Damaris, all police involvement and persecution in Mexico ends.

  Zamora said it was San Luis Rio Colorado police who took Lopez before a judge, who then granted her legal protection as well as custody of the minor.

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