Cop dog finds chase suspects in cotton field

A Pinal County Sheriff canine found two suspects involved in a high-speed chase Saturday hiding in a cotton field.

About 12:48 p.m. PCSO sergeant attempted to stop a 2008 Chrysler passenger vehicle for civil traffic violations on Highway 84 eastbound near Stanfield Road. The driver of the vehicle pulled over to the right shoulder of the roadway but as the sergeant approached, the vehicle accelerated eastbound. The sergeant ran back to his vehicle to follow the vehicle.

The vehicle was traveling at speeds up to 100 mph on Montgomery Road and then later on Interstate-8, Stanfield and then into the Tohono O’Odham reservation on Federal Route 42. The sergeant lost sight of the vehicle but it was eventually found abandoned on the dam road east of Federal Route 42.

Sheriff Paul Babeu stated, “Canine units from our office and U.S. Border Patrol began searching for the suspects. They followed two sets of footprints away from the vehicle. After tracking the footprints for nearly three-quarters of a mile, the footprints disappeared into the cotton fields. One of the canines was able to locate the two suspects lying in the cotton fields trying to avoid detection. Both were taken into custody.”

Jose Antonio Vizcarra, 25, and Victor Zuniga Barraz, 30, were taken into custody.

Both men admitted to being in the United States illegally from Mexico. Vizcarra said he was the driver.

Two bottles of laundry detergent, numerous air fresheners, water bottles filled with urine, numerous cell phone chargers and empty food packages were found in the vehicle.

Vizcarra was booked into the Pinal County Jail for unlawful fight. Barraz was turned over to U.S. Border Patrol for deportation. Te vehicle was impounded.