Sixth arrest made in human smuggling case

The U.S. Marshals Office Fugitive Task Force arrested sixth suspect Gerald Turner in the July 7 U-Haul human smuggling case.

He was taken into custody at 2 p.m. Thursday in the 7000 block of North 75th Avenue in Phoenix.

On Aug. 15, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office with the help of the Phoenix Police Department, the Pinal County Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations in Douglas had five suspects in custody on suspicion of homicide and were looking for Turner, who was considered armed and dangerous.

Initially two people – the driver and front-seat passenger – were arrested in a case that began July 7 when numerous Hispanic males and females were spotted at the Bowlins Travel Center at I-10 and Picacho Peak in medical distress after riding in the back of a U-Haul box truck.

One man died later at a hospital.

Three more people were arrested in different Phoenix locations between July 17 and Aug. 13.

Here is how the case unfolded:

On July 7 at 2:10 p.m. PCSO received a 911 call from an individual at the Bowlins Travel Center at I-10 and Picacho Peak. The caller reported to dispatchers and later to deputies on scene, a U-Haul box truck had stopped and when the driver and front seat passenger opened the backend of the truck, several subjects were inside and appeared to be in medical distress. They were “falling out and staggering” as they attempted to get out, the caller said.

When deputies arrived, they observed several adult Hispanic males and females standing, sitting, and or lying nearby or inside of the U-Haul truck. The individuals told deputies there were approximately 14 to 20 illegal immigrants in the truck when it stopped. All of them were picked up in Douglas by a white male subject who was driving the U-Haul and a white or Hispanic female subject in the front seat passenger.

All of the subjects stated they had paid $5,000 each to get to Phoenix. After payment, the people were loaded into the truck.

Witness accounts indicated several of the occupants of the U-Haul stayed by the vehicle after it parked at the travel center due to medical conditions ranging from dehydration and fatigue to heat stroke causing vomiting, loss of bowel control and unconsciousness.
Emergency medical personnel arrived on scene and worked with deputies to render aid. Three of the subjects were in critical condition and were taken by air ambulance to a hospital; five of the subjects were transported by ground ambulance to local hospitals.
Eight subjects initially were located at the scene. Witnesses said another five or six were seen walking east into the desert area.

Members of the U.S. Border Patrol assisted in locating those subjects in the desert. All of the individuals located in the desert were transported to the Casa Grande Border Patrol station to be interviewed.

The driver of the U-Haul truck and the front seat passenger were taken into custody. The driver, Nathan Lamb, 25, and his girlfriend Elizabeth Kay, 25, both of Phoenix were initially booked into the Pinal County Adult Detention Center for numerous counts of human smuggling, aggravated assault and endangerment.

Lamb and Kay admitted to detectives they transported the illegal immigrants. While driving they heard “pounding and banging” from inside of the cargo area. They didn’t stop right away because they were afraid they would be seen. When they did stop, they saw the condition of the people and thought they were going to die. Lamb and Kay fled the scene.

On July 10, shortly after midnight, PCSO homicide detectives were notified by the hospital staff, a victim on life support had passed away. An autopsy was conducted and the cause of death was determined to be “hyperthermia” as a result of the extreme heat inside of the U-Haul. It was estimated to be more than 180 degrees inside.
Lamb and Kay were then charged on suspicion of first-degree murder, kidnapping and human smuggling.