Hundreds rally in LA County for Mexico extradition change

By: ROBERT JABLON - Associated Press | Saturday, May 8, 2004 9:02 PM PDT ∞

SANTA CLARITA -- Relatives of murder victims at a rally Saturday called for Mexico to extradite wanted killers to the United States, including a man who allegedly gunned down a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy.

The suspected killer of Deputy David March is one of about 300 people suspected in Los Angeles County murders believed to have fled to Mexico, District Attorney Steve Cooley told hundreds of people at the rally. There may be as many as 1,000 fugitives from California in the country, he said.

A 1980 extradition treaty with Mexico contains a clause exempting capital punishment cases and the Mexican Supreme Court ruled in October 2001 that life in prison is cruel and unusual punishment. Since the ruling, which is being appealed, Mexico has refused to return suspects unless the United States guarantees a sentence of a fixed number of years.

"They're endangering good people on both sides of the border by creating a safe haven, safe harbor for the worst sorts of criminals," Cooley said before the rally at the College of the Canyons.

"If Osama bin Laden was in Mexico right now ... we couldn't extradite him back to the United States for trial for killing 3,000 people in New York. That's how bizarre and asinine the Mexican Supreme Court's ruling is," Cooley said.

Speakers accused the federal government of foot-dragging on the issue. A petition called on federal officials to suspend, withdraw from or renegotiate the treaty, or impose economic sanctions. In Washington, resolutions pending in both houses of Congress urge President Bush to renegotiate the treaty.

Jack Morales, 39, of Pico Rivera, held up a photograph of his 12-year-old son, Steven, who was shot in 1998. A local gang member aiming at a rival killed the boy as he played baseball near the family's Highland Park home, and the alleged killer is in Mexico, Morales said.

"He just crossed a border and he can live free," he said. "Steven deserves justice."

Anabella Vara said she was kidnapped and shot in the head by her ex-husband, Daniel Perez, in 1999. While out on bail during trial, Perez allegedly shot to death her father, Carlos Vara, who had testified against him. Perez, who fled to Mexico, was convicted in absentia of attempting to murder his wife and faces a life sentence if he returns.

"He committed the crime here," Anabella Vara said. "We're the U.S. citizens here ... how can there be somebody in Mexico protecting him?"

The "Dave's March for Justice Rally" was named for 33-year-old March, who was shot to death in April 2002 while making a traffic stop in Irwindale. The suspect is Armando Garcia, a convicted methamphetamine dealer who also is wanted on two counts of attempted murder. Garcia, a Mexican national, is believed to be living in Mexico.

"It's horrible (not) to have some level of closure, see the animal who did it," said March's 34-year-old widow, Teri, of Santa Clarita. "I'm not allowed to really just remember the good memories," she said, wearing a button with a photo of her late husband. "I'm overwhelmed with the bad outcome."

Sheriff Lee Baca said he will have thousands of posters with Garcia's photograph and the words "cop killer" in Spanish sent to police stations throughout Mexico.