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U.S. NEWS Saturday 29 december 2018
Sheriff blames sanctuary law for

California officer’s death

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ and
JOCELYN GECKER
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A
suspected drunken driver ac-
cused of killing a California
police officer who pulled him
over was captured Friday as
he tried to flee back to Mex-
ico, where he lived before il-
legally crossing into the U.S.,
authorities said.
The sheriff leading the inves-
tigation blamed California’s
sanctuary law for preventing
local authorities from report-
ing Gustavo Perez Arriaga to Law enforcement and family members of slain Newman Police
U.S. immigration officials for officer Ronil Singh listen to Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam
two previous drunken driv- Christianson, center, talk about the arrest of suspect Gustavo
ing arrests. If he had been Perez Arriaga and others during a press conference at the
Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department Friday, Dec. 28, 2018, in
deported, the sheriff said, Modesto, Calif.
Cpl. Ronil Singh of the tiny Associated Press
Newman Police Department killing Thursday, saying it was criminals. His spokesman said
would still be alive. “time to get tough on Border Friday that if the suspect was
“We can’t ignore the fact that Security. Build the Wall!” a known gang member, police
this could have been prevent- California’s sanctuary law could have provided that in-
able,” Stanislaus County Sher- limits cooperation between formation to federal authori-
iff Adam Christianson told re- local authorities and U.S. im- ties.
porters, asking why the state migration officials and has “California law fully permits
was “providing sanctuary for drawn scorn from the Trump the sharing of information on
criminals (and) gang mem- administration. It includes dangerous gang members,”
bers. It’s a conversation we more than 800 exceptions for spokesman Evan Westrup Ulysses High School senior Braxton Moral sits for a portrait at the
school in Ulysses, Kan., on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018.
need to have.” violent crimes and felonies said. Associated Press
Following a statewide man- and bars police from asking A federal judge upheld the
hunt, Perez Arriaga was ar- people about their citizenship law earlier this year after a Kansas teen to get
rested on a murder warrant status. Trump administration chal-
in a house near Bakersfield, Former state Sen. Kevin de lenge. high school, Harvard
about 200 miles (320 kilo- Leon, the Democrat who Authorities also arrested five
meters) southeast of where wrote the legislation, said it’s other people, including Perez diplomas in 1 month
Singh was shot Wednesday. unfair to blame the law for Arriaga’s brother, 25-year-
As a SWAT team prepared to the officer’s death. old Adrian Virgen, and a co- ULYSSES, Kan. (AP) — A “They told us: ‘You need
raid the house, Perez Arriaga Christianson, who was at worker, 32-year-old Erik Razo 16-year-old Kansas boy will to do something. He’s not
came out with his hands up a meeting with Trump and Quiroz, who lied to police to soon earn his high school just gifted. He’s really, really
and surrendered. He was sent slams California’s law in a vid- try to protect him, Christian- diploma — and a few days gifted,’” he said.
later he’ll travel to Harvard The Ulysses school district
north in the slain officer’s eo posted by the White House son said. He said both men to collect his bachelor’s allowed him to take some
handcuffs, Kern County Sher- in May, said the measure pro- also were in the country ille- degree. high school classes while
iff Donny Youngblood said. hibited his department from gally. Ulysses High School senior he was still in middle school.
Perez Arriaga crossed the sharing Perez Arriaga’s gang Three people also were ar- Braxton Moral will attend Before high school he took
border in Arizona several ties, “other active warrants” rested at the home near Ba- both commencement cer- a class offered at Fort Hays
years ago and had worked a and past DUI arrests with fed- kersfield for helping Perez Ar- emonies in May, becoming State University. Then he
variety of jobs as a laborer, eral immigration authorities. riaga, Youngblood said. the only student to success- was admitted into Harvard.
including at several dairies. He didn’t give details on the The 33-year-old officer was fully pursue a four-year high Braxton Moral simultane-
The 33-year-old Mexico na- other warrants. an immigrant, too, arriving school degree and a bach- ously studied at the high
tive had gang affiliations and That suggests law enforce- legally from his native Fiji to elor’s degree from Har- school and the Harvard
multiple Facebook pages with ment could have apprehend- fulfill his dream of becoming vard at the same time, The Extension School. The pro-
different names, Christianson ed Perez Arriaga previously, a police officer, authorities Hutchinson News reported gram typically serves adults
said. de Leon said. said. Singh had a newborn .Harvard has changed the who work and can’t attend
The shooting came amid an “He should’ve been in the son and joined the 12-officer rules, Braxton’s father Car- classes on campus full time.
intense political fight over physical custody of law en- Newman police force in 2011. los Moral said, so his son will Ulysses High School math
immigration, with President forcement,” de Leon said. To “He came to America with “the one and only” reach- teacher Patsy Love served
Donald Trump and congres- blame the law “is highly irre- one purpose, and that was to ing that milestone. Braxton as the proctor for the Har-
sional Democrats at odds sponsible.” serve this country,” Newman Moral will be 17 when he vard program, administer-
gets his diplomas.
ing Moral’s tests in Kansas.
over funding for a border wall Gov. Jerry Brown has said the Police Chief Randy Richard- Carlos Moral said they be- Moral spent the summer
that has forced a partial gov- law strikes a balance between son said Thursday, choking gan to realize their son was before his junior year at
ernment shutdown. protecting families and ensur- up. He called Singh an “Amer- special when he was in the Harvard’s campus in Cam-
Trump tweeted about Singh’s ing consequences for serious ican patriot.”q third grade. bridge, Massachusetts. q