Sheriff’s deputies stop 27 illegal immigrants

By DORIS COOK - Staff Writer
Star Beacon

September 04, 2008 10:56 pm

— ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP — Routine traffic stops by Ashtabula County sheriff’s deputies over a week ending Tuesday resulted in the apprehension of 27 illegal aliens.
They were all turned over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, according to sheriff’s department chief deputy Ronald Fenton.
On Saturday, 16 illegal immigrants were discovered at the Freeway Motel, at 2329 N. Ridge E. The men were detained, then turned over to CPB officers based in Erie.
Eight of 27 illegal aliens were picked up during routine traffic stops on Aug. 27 and 28 and found to be from Mexico, Fenton said.
Deputy Matt Johns stopped a car in the Homewood Avenue area of Route 20 around 10 p.m. Tuesday, for having no rear taillights. One of the passengers, a 34-year-old female with a Geneva address, was found to be here illegally from Honduras and could not speak English. When the federal officer arrived, he questioned the woman, and she admitted to being in the U.S. illegally, reports show.
“Usually what happens — we do not make arrests but call in the border patrol,” Fenton said. “It’s a federal offense, so the patrol picks up these people on the spot. We feel these people could be working in the area nurseries or the grape vineyards here,” he said.