Anger Rising in Valeria Alvarado Shooting Death By Border Patrol Agent

Source: CBS TV (San Diego affiliate)

CHULA VISTA, CA (CBS) - There is rising anger in southern California over a border patrol agent who shot and killed a mother of five on Friday. Officials say the agent was trying to save his own life. Police isn Chula Vista, California are still investigating. Local residents say there was no reason for the shooting.

Valentin Tachiquin says, "I want to know why she died. What was the purpose? Why did she die?"

That painful question of the grieving father of Valeria Alvarado is being asked by an entire community. At a vigil lasts evening the slain woman's husband was inconsolable, her son seemed in shock. Valeria Alvarado's shooting death in the San Diego suburb of Chula Vista by a plain-clothed U.S. Border agent was violent: her car pockmarked with bullet holes; beside it the body of the 32-year old mother of five. To the community it's inconceivable.

To authorities it's inconclusive. The Border Patrol says the plain-clothes agent was in the neighborhood serving a warrant, when Alvarado ran him down, the agent feared for his life. Deputy Chief Rodney Scott with U.S. Border Patrol says, "He was hit with the vehicle and got lodged on the windshield where you saw the impact and was carried several hundred yards before he discharged his weapon through the windshield of the vehicle."

Witnesses tell conflicting stories. Ashley Guilebeau says, "From my apartment I could see a car stop in the middle of the street and a guy coming and walking in front of the car and shooting about 12 times."

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Read more: http://www.todaysthv.com/news/article/229185/288/Anger-rising-in-deadly-Calif-border-patrol-shooting-

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This is an update on yesterday's post about the killing, but there is little new information except that "anger is rising," which is noteworthy.

Critical information remains missing:

How did the interaction between Alvarado and the Border Patrol agent who killed her begin?

Was the agent really ever on her car? (It kind of looks like it with that dented windshield.)

Was the agent on her car when he shot her? (Witness accounts vary. It's one thing to shoot a driver careening down the road with you hanging on for dear life; it's quite another to shoot a driver who is slowly backing away from you when you're standing in the road.)