Arizona -
Chula Vista, Arizona - The family of 32-year old Valeria "Monique" Alvarado, also known as Valeria Tachiquin, is infuriated by the loss of their family member due to a shooting by a Border Patrol Agent whose name is being withheld during the incident investigation by Border Patrol Officials, according to CBP Chief Patrol Agent Rodney Scott. Chula Vista Officials confirm Border Patrol Agents were in the area around 1 p. m. serving a felony warrant when Alvarado intentionally struck one of the agents. Alvarado was not the subject of the warrant.
Family members of Alvarado, a mother of five children, maintain she would never intentionally hurt anyone. Gilberto Alvarado, the husband, believes the agent overreacted. "My wife got killed for no reason," he told NBC 7 Friday night. "Show me that my wife had a gun or something that threatened the guy's life where he had to use lethal force against her."
According to Scott, the agent was struck and carried on the hood of Alvarado's vehicle, which continually failed to stop. After several hundred yards, the Agent opened fire on Alvarado, killing her in the driver's seat. "The suspect was armed with a vehicle, and literally ran our agent down," said Scott.
One witness, Prince Watson, recalled: "As the car was backing up, the officer was in the street walking toward the car, and discharging." Other witnesses believe Alvarado may have accidentally struck the agent and panicked when he told her to stop and drew his weapon. The say the agent was in plain clothes and did not display a badge.
Though the facts of the situation are still being gathered, the pain is very real for Gilberto and his family. "Whoever shot my wife -- whoever he is -- that guy needs to get shot," he said. The Southern Border Communities Coalition stands behind the family and vows to make sure the investigation is conducted in a transparent manner, and justice is served. Alvarado's criminal history only includes one court case from 2004 involving drug possession, but she never served jail time for it, and has been clean ever since.
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