An Arizona rancher has been arrested in connection with the death of a Mexican national who was shot on his property literally a few yards north of the Mexican border.
George Alan Kelly, 73, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Gabriel Cuen Butimea, 48, from Nogales, Mexico. Cuen-Butimea was shot dead on January 30 in a remote desert area near Kino Springs, a small hamlet in Santa Cruz County, officials said. Kelly is bound by a $1 million bond.
Law enforcement has not revealed a motive for the shooting, and details are still sketchy. But the incident could turn into a powder keg, further escalating tense political issues over the U.S.-Mexico border.
Here’s what we know. Kelly lives with his wife on their ranch, Vermilion his Mountain Ranch, and regularly sees immigrant trespassers. The couple report fears that drug cartel members and heavily armed soldiers are trafficking people and drugs.
Around 2:40 p.m. on the day of the shooting, a sheriff’s dispatch reported a call from the U.S. Border Patrol with a “potential shooter” at Kelly’s Sagebrush Road neighborhood. CBP appeared to have received a report from a witness about a “group of people running” and said, “We don’t know if he was shot too.”
At approximately 5:50 pm on the day of the shooting, the sheriff’s deputy received another report of a shot being fired at the facility.By 6:42 p.m., they had recovered Cuen-Butimea’s body. Authorities said the victim was unarmed at the time, and investigators have since recovered two assault rifles from Kelly’s property to determine if either was used in the shooting.
Cuen-Butimea was identified by authorities from a Mexican voter card and his body was found about 150 yards from Kelly’s home. The press reports US federal court records. “Cuen-Butimea has a history of illegal border crossings and deportations in and around Nogales, with the latest recorded case in 2016.”
An investigation into the shooting is ongoing, but authorities say they have no apparent motive and do not believe Kelly and Kuen Buttimer knew each other.
Arizona law allows homeowners to use lethal force on their property if they deem it “extremely necessary” to prevent trespassing. Other laws, known as “stand your ground” laws, also defend the use of physical or lethal force when homeowners fear threats and believe force is needed. .
At a preliminary hearing on January 31, Kelly asked a judge to reduce his bond so he could help his wife.
“She’s out there alone… There’s no one to take care of her, her livestock, her ranch. And I’m not going anywhere. I can’t afford a million yen.”
A GoFundMe account was set up to help with Kelly’s legal fees, but the account was quickly deleted, reports FOX News Digital.
“GoFundMe’s Terms of Service expressly prohibit campaigns that raise funds to cover the legal defense of persons duly charged with violent crimes. Consistent with this long-standing policy, , the fundraising campaign for the legal defense of a person charged with murder will be removed from our site and platform,” a GoFundMe spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Donors who contributed to the George Alan Kelly legal costs fundraising campaign have been fully refunded.”
Kelly’s active fundraising efforts remain on Christian crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo raised over $16,000 on Friday morning.
Fundraiser organizer Shannon Pritchard said, “Neighbors said he was having trouble keeping the invaders out and that Mr. Kelly would have acted in good faith.” It is a tragedy that an ordinary farmer who should have been protected was abandoned and had to protect himself.”
