SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Two men who are in the United States illegally have been convicted of aiding a third man who was trying to escape to Mexico after authorities say he killed a California police officer.
Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that jurors convicted 34-year-old Conrado Virgen Mendoza and 28-year-old Erik Quiroz Razo of conspiring to aid and abet Paulo Virgen Mendoza’s flight to avoid prosecution.
Paulo Virgen Mendoza was previously identified by authorities as Gustavo Perez Arriaga. He has pleaded not guilty in Stanislaus County to a state charge of murder in the Dec. 26 slaying of Cpl. Ronil Singh of the tiny Newman Police Department during a traffic stop.
Jurors acquitted two others.
The case rekindled a debate over California’s sanctuary law that limits cooperation by local authorities with federal immigration authorities.
