Border Patrol Heard Questioning If Arizona Rancher Was 'Crazy' Before Responding to His Property
A phone call between a Border Patrol agent and local law enforcement shines new light on an incident on an Arizona ranch that led to George Alan Kelly being charged with murder.
A Border Patrol agent questions whether or not Kelly is “crazy” in the phone call, speaking to a dispatcher of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, according to Fox News.
The call between the two agencies was made on Jan. 30, the same day that a Mexican illegal immigrant was found dead on the property of the Arizona rancher.
Kelly had reported that a group of armed strangers had trespassed on his property the same day, just miles north of the U.S. — Mexico border.
“I’m sorry, man. I hate to do this to you. I don’t know for sure this guy’s getting shot at or not,” the Border Patrol agent said of Kelly’s reports in the call, according to Fox.
“What sometimes happens is some of our customers go through his property, and then, I don’t know if he’s crazy or what’s going on.”
The federal agent indicated that Kelly had previously reported the trespassers had a weapon in a call to a Customs and Border Protection ranch liaison.
The agent earlier indicated that there were “five [individuals] on the guy’s property, but with the guy chasing after them.”
“It sounds to me like the caller — the person that initially called us — has a rifle and somebody in that group of five has a rifle.”
Kelly described finding a dead “animal” in another 911 call requesting police assistance.
AZ: 74 y/o rancher, George Alan Kelly tells Santa Cruz Co. Sheriff’s dispatch there was an animal lying face down on his property and they needed to send officers—After a Mexican citizen was found shot dead on the ranch.
*Clips edited together—Full audio: https://t.co/MK9cTpzUvX pic.twitter.com/LwiJDhEZ5Q
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) March 10, 2023
Kelly’s attorney said he encountered a deceased man hours after firing warning shots at a group of armed trespassers on his property.
The deceased was ultimately identified as Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea, a Mexican national who had entered the United States illegally.
Kelly has received support from Americans who oppose the porous state of the nation’s southern border.
Donors funded his $1 million cash bond on the fundraising platform GiveSendGo, ensuring Kelly can prepare his defense out of custody.
The rancher has plead not guilty to charges of aggravated assault and second-degree murder in the case.
Kelly’s trial is set for September.
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