New York: A man was arrested for allegedly killing an Indian-origin police officer in California's Newman County, when he was planning to flee to his native Mexico, police said. The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Gustavo Perez Arriaga and living illegally, was arrested from a home in the Kern County, Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson was quoted as saying.
Corporal Ronil Singh, 33, pulled over the suspect last week and a few moments later he called out "shot fired" over the radio. Other officers who reached the spot found Singh shot and took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Singh was a native of Fiji and joined the force in July 2011. Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson said that this has never happened in the history of the 12-member department.
Arriaga came to the US illegally and was believed to have been fleeing to Mexico, he said, adding the suspect was arrested twice previously for driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs and has known gang affiliation. Arriaga's brother, Adrian Virgen, 25, and coworker, Erik Razo Quiroz, 32, were arrested for felony. Christianson said they were trying to protect Arriaga, who was trying to go to Mexico.
Christianson said Virgen and Quiroz were also in the US illegally. Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said two men and a woman were also arrested from the home where Arriaga was found. Youngblood said he could not confirm whether the three were in the country illegally.
