Older Arizona Rancher charged with murder A man believed to be Mexican has been asked for $1 million bail in connection with being shot at a border property, and an armed group fired “warning shots” after “pointing an AK-47 at him.” allegedly, his attorney said. .
George Alan Kelly, 73, was charged with first-degree premeditated murder for shooting dead a man whom authorities believed to be 48 years old on January 30. Gabriel Quen-Butimea Based on the Mexican voter registration card he had, he completed chores earlier that day at a ranch near Kino Springs, came to his house to have lunch with his wife, and heard a single gunshot while eating. In a recent court filing obtained by Fox News Digital, Larkin wrote:
Kelley saw his old horse run full speed and frightened away, the filing states.
“Finally, he saw a group of men moving through the trees around the house. They were armed with AK-47 rifles, dressed in khakis and camouflage, with large backpacks. He had a pack,” Larkin wrote.
Kelly was “rightfully concerned and fearful for his safety, his wife’s safety, and the safety of his animals,” so Kelly was sent to the U.S. Border Patrol Ranch, which was specially assigned to help those living in the border areas. Call your liaison to report what he sees and “call for help immediately,” writes Larkin.
Kelly told his wife to stay quietly inside the house, away from the window, and went out onto the porch with a rifle.
“The leader of the armed group saw Mr. Kelly and pointed an AK-47 at him,” Larkin wrote. The group then began running into the desert surrounding his home. I walked over to see if it was safe and secure.
In the documents submitted, Kelly Border Patrol Ranch Liaison Officer Kelly reported hearing a single gunshot and reported that the man he saw was armed, but the liaison “misreported” that Kelly said he did not know if the man was armed. I was. At approximately 2:40 pm, a radio transmission to a Border Patrol agent en route to the facility “correctly reported that armed men had been sighted in the area.”
While Kelly checks the barn, a number of border patrols and Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Deputy Kelly saw a group of armed men near his home. said he had seen it, writes Larkin.
Border Patrol agents and sheriff’s deputies roamed Kelly’s property “up and down” but found no one, the filing said. They also tried using various cameras to locate the man, without success. Then law enforcement left.
Later that day, as the sun was setting, Kelly went to his pasture to check on the horses. Noticing that the dog he had brought was focused on something on the ground near a mesquite tree, Kelly approached the area and “observed a dead body lying face down in the grass.” Larkin wrote. He then made a third call to a Border Patrol ranch liaison to report the findings and seek help from law enforcement.
When law enforcement arrived, Kelly helped them find the body and cooperated with the investigation, Larkin said. Turns out I wasn’t wearing one. According to documents, the cause of death was a single gunshot wound and the body was fresh.
“Man [had] He was carrying a radio and was wearing tactical boots, indicating possible involvement in illegal activity,” Larkin wrote.
Defense attorneys added that the type of bullet that caused the fatal injury, the time of death, how long the body was there, and the location and location prior to the fatal injury remain unknown.
In interview with law enforcement, Kelly ‘acknowledged gunshot warning’ firing at smugglers Earlier in the day, he denied firing directly at anyone,” Larkin wrote. All shootings carried out by Mr. Kelly on the day of the incident were in self-defense and justified. ”
Kelly and his wife have lived on their property outside Nogales, Arizona for over 20 years. The Daily Mail previously reported that federal records show that Cuenbutimere “had a history of illegal border crossings and deportations in and around Nogales, with the most recent case documented in 2016.” bottom.
Judge Emilio Velázquez denied Kelly’s request. reduction of his $1 million bond A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 22 at the Nogales Court of Justice, despite the rancher pleading that the wife was left alone on their property and unable to tend to the livestock. .
“Mr. Kelly’s … years as a law-abiding citizen, and the incontrovertible facts of the case, jeopardize his innocence and our ability to prove his innocence should the state continue to prosecute Mr. Kelly. It gives you confidence,” Larkin said, in a statement obtained by AZ Central on Friday.
GoFundMe has launched all campaigns set to raise money for Kelly, Fox News Digital previously confirmed. allowed. As of noon Sunday, she has earned around $250,000.
Fox News’ Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
