Los Caza Recompensas!
(This was an actual newpapers
clipping.)
El diario de Hoy, 15 de diciembre 2005
No pasó nada. El 15 de octubre tres extranjeros
querían sacar del país a un Salvadoreño, pero ayer todo quedó como si no
hubiese pasado: no hubo delito, no hubo juicio, no hubo culpables. El juzgado
de Instrucción de San Luis Talpa resolvió dejar en libertad a tres “cazarrecompensas”
estadounidenses y tres policías Salvadoreños eran acusados de intentar sacar
del país a un prófugo de la justicia norteamericana.
Mark Allen
Pruter, de 22 años, Robert Lee Suckoll, de 34, y Erick Jackson Lippincott de 24
fueron declarados inocentes juntamente con los policías Luis Pérez Pérez,
Olegario Maximiliano Hernández Mundo y Carlos Alfredo Ramírez.
Todos eran
acusados por la fiscalía de privar de libertad a Julio César Nerio, un
salvadoreño que habría cometido una agresión sexual contra un menor de edad en
el estado de Nevada.
El argumento de
la jueza fue que la persona a quien la fiscalía presentó como víctima sostuvo
ayer, durante la audiencia preliminar, que no se sentía ofendida.
Ellos están
libres de responsabilidad. Se dictó sobreseimiento definitivo porque la parte
ofendida dijo en esta audiencia que no se consideraba ofendido en virtud de que
no era cierto que lo llevaran detenido, sino que iba con su propia voluntad”
aseguró la jueza Ana Mariana Guzmán.
La fiscalía no
puede obligar a nadie a decir lo que no quiere decir”, expresó la jueza, en referencia
a que si Nerio no se sentía ofendido, la Fiscalía tampoco podía obligarlo a
decir otra cosa.
Hoy se van
Jackson sostuvo
que posiblemente retornarían hoy a su país, pues para ayer les era difícil
conseguir los pasajes aéreos.
El extranjero
dijo que esperaba regresar pronto a El Salvador porque había hecho muchos
amigos aquí.
Mark Allen
Pruter, agripado, con una barba descuidada y son semblante más desmejorado que
él de hace 67 días, dijo que lamentaba haber estado arrestado pues ellos nunca cometieron
el delito que les imputaban.
Alegaron que
ellos nunca privaron de libertad a Nerio, sino que éste, por su propia
voluntad, decidió acompañarlos. Prueba, dijo Pruter, es que nunca lo esposaron
como se sostuvo durante el proceso. Los tres policías Salvadoreños ligados a
los tres estadounidenses ya fueron sancionados por la corporación. Al cabo
Olegario Hernández y al agente Carlos Ramirez les impusieron 6 días de
suspensión por permitir supuestamente que los caza recompensa esposaran a Julio
César Nerio. Mientras que el sargento Luis Pérez le impusieron 30 días de
suspensión por haber sido negligente al no informar a sus superiores de las
pretensiones y posterior arribo de los tres estadounidenses.
La diligencia
disciplinaria fue realizada el lunes anterior. Julio César Nerio aportó una
declaración distinta a la que había rendido a los fiscales que investigaban el
caso.
Los tres
investigadores dijeron que apelarán la sanción disciplinaria tomando en cuenta
al fallo absolutorio del tribunal y a la declaración que ayer rindió Nerio,
tras la cual fueron exculpados.
(Essays)
The
release date!
It was the month of December ten days before Christmas in
2005 when I got a phone call from my mother telling me that the Judge had given
Mark, Rob and Eric their freedom. She told me that a miracle had happened and
all of the sudden the charges against them were dropped.
I had wished that
they had gone home a month earlier in November to be with their family on
thanksgiving, however I didn’t want to lose hope for them to be reunited with
their family by Christmas knowing that only a miracle needed to take place
because I knew that the more days they stayed in jail the chances for them to
return home in a timely manner were slim.
A desperate
call for help: C. L. who
I had never met, was a mother who called me to see if I could do anything to
help her son who was in jail in no other but El Salvador. Scary!!
Mission
impossible: A booked my next flight to El Salvador to look for them I
had no idea why they had been taken into custody and charged for kidnapping.
A
mother’s plea in me: I went as if I was representing his own mother
to talk to anyone I could. An uncle who always reads the newspaper from cover
to cover every day kept me informed. They were at a detention facility in a
near city and were soon to be sent to prison, the paper read.
Using
the honorary consul’s hat: As the honorary Consul I was able to talk
to the lawyer to find out more about this case and to see if there was anything
I could do for them. He kept in contact with me and we became a team.
Not a
pretty first impression: Picture this in your mind: Walking inside
a tiny little room with no air conditioning windows or electricity but a little
hole up in the ceiling to give some light during the day. No water or food
either. That is what I found when I went to see these young men.
What
would mother do? I thought about my own sons-in-law because I
didn’t have any sons, only daughters but could picture them there sleeping on
that dirty floor so I asked permission to take them sheets and pillows and
reading and writing material and food of course. I could relate as a
mother-in-law and put myself in their mother’s shoes and became their surrogate
mother and my mother their grandmother.
Mother’s
cash: I turned to my own mother to ask for $30,000 dollars in
cash to pay for bail and what I love about my mother is that she never
hesitated on bit. It wasn’t like I had to convince her of anything. We went
that day to the bank to get the funds and write up the check. It was that easy.
Anyone who knows my mother knows that she is not wealthy but has a great heart.
Those were all her savings and she didn’t know if she would see that money ever
again. She simply did it out of her own generosity.
Press
pressure: I was sick of seeing terrible things being said on the
news and went directly to the news director of la “Prensa Grafica” the largest
newspaper in El Salvador and accused them of false statements written to damage
the reputation of those Americans, just to sell more newspapers!
Getting
mad at the American Embassy: I couldn’t believe how
officers at the US Embassy were not cooperating nor doing anything for these
young men. I went to talk to them about this case and they just washed their
hands telling me that those young men had broken the law for being so stupid and
that “they would probably do time in prison, minimum of six years.” They said.
Not too consoling. I then told them, ‘I thought you were innocent until proven
guilty’ and stormed out of that place. I was livid!
Speaking
to the judge: I found out that in most countries the Judicial
Courts of a nation has nothing to do with people who are in command. The
president of El Salvador at the time was someone I went to school with, he was
my classmate, friend and second cousin. He was someone I knew very well but he
couldn’t help in this case. I learned only the judge and the lawyers could help
people who break the law and this is why I want to write this story, to help so
many people from other countries including Americans who can think they can go
to another country and presumed laws don’t apply to them.
The
home arrest was granted:
After I went to speak to the judge, a home arrest was granted with a
bail of $30,000 dollars. $10,000 for each x three.
What
if they scape? Can you imagine the headlines? Honorary Consul
arrested for letting three Americans jumped bail. It was November 1, 2005 I wanted to take them
to eat something so I stopped at a restaurant in the mall to order food. All of
the sudden they all needed to use the bathroom and as I waited for five to ten
minutes which seemed an eternity thought crossed my head as to what if they
scape?
A day
at the beach: The next day my uncle drove us to the beach
house in Sonsonate to spend the only day off they had because it was vacation
known us day of the dead. People that day go and decorate their loved ones burial
sites to pay tribute to those who have passed on so it was a free day for them
where they didn’t have to sign in.
Watching
out for the police: As we were driving the guys to San Luis Talpa,
the town where they supposed to have been all this time I noticed a cop
flagging our car to stop. Getting stopped by a cop with two “fugitives” inside
is not a smart thing but oh well for no rhyme or reason we got stopped and my
heart stopped but it was just a routine traffic check up to see if all your
papers were in order. The policeman didn’t even noticed our precious cargo we
carried in.
Making
the rounds: I would go periodically to visit these fellow.
They were staying in a vacant home next to the court house where diligently
every single day, they signed their names letting the judge know they were
there. The defense attorney was also instrumental in finding them a decent
place as they waited sentencing.
Making
the best of what you’ve got: I love the fact that those
boys were blessed with the ability to prove who they were. They went out into
the city and met people who became their instant friends. One fellow even found
a girlfriend.
Miracles
do happen: This December in 2015 commemorates ten years of this
episode in my life and I don’t want another day to go by without telling my
story from the point of view of a mother, especially my mother to whom I owe
everything, even the chance to save someone from going to prison in El
Salvador. How amazing to think of that miracle actually taking place before our
eyes, my mother, and my sister Liz were amazed of how just in the nick of time
it all unfolded to their advantage. I can only imagine the relief of Eric’s
mother when she knew her son was to return home.
To all
those naïve people a word of advice: I always see on TV people
getting arrested abroad notoriously for trying to help. Whatever you do, find
out what the laws of the land are before you travel to “save the world” and please
don’t ever get arrested!!
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