Report of knife-point threat leads to illegal-alien probe
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Bangor Daily News
BELFAST, Maine — An altercation in a local tavern led to the discovery of two Hispanic men believed to be in the country illegally.
Police Chief Jeffrey Trafton said one of the men was believed to be from El Salvador while the other man told police he was a citizen of the Earth.
Trafton said Sgt. John Gibbs came in contact with the men after a patron of Rollie’s Bar and Grille claimed one of them threatened him with a knife in the restaurant’s restroom Saturday evening.
"The guy went to the bathroom and the other guy showed him a knife and said something in Spanish," Trafton said Monday. "The guy felt he’d been threatened but he couldn’t understand Spanish."
Oscar Portilla, 41, of Belfast was arrested and charged with criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon after the 6:16 p.m. incident. Portilla, who works for a local potato processing company, told police he was originally from El Salvador.
His companion, Jose Louis Hernandez Martinez, told police he was never issued a birth certificate and did not know his age.
"He said he was a son of God and that we’re all brothers and sisters. He said he’s not from Mexico and he’s not from the United States, he’s from the Earth," Trafton said.
Trafton said that Martinez was known to U.S. Customs as Carlos Valle. The Immigration and Naturalization Service has opened an investigation into the identity and origin of both men, Trafton said.
BELFAST, Maine — An altercation in a local tavern led to the discovery of two Hispanic men believed to be in the country illegally.
Police Chief Jeffrey Trafton said one of the men was believed to be from El Salvador while the other man told police he was a citizen of the Earth.
Trafton said Sgt. John Gibbs came in contact with the men after a patron of Rollie’s Bar and Grille claimed one of them threatened him with a knife in the restaurant’s restroom Saturday evening.
"The guy went to the bathroom and the other guy showed him a knife and said something in Spanish," Trafton said Monday. "The guy felt he’d been threatened but he couldn’t understand Spanish."
Oscar Portilla, 41, of Belfast was arrested and charged with criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon after the 6:16 p.m. incident. Portilla, who works for a local potato processing company, told police he was originally from El Salvador.
His companion, Jose Louis Hernandez Martinez, told police he was never issued a birth certificate and did not know his age.
"He said he was a son of God and that we’re all brothers and sisters. He said he’s not from Mexico and he’s not from the United States, he’s from the Earth," Trafton said.
Trafton said that Martinez was known to U.S. Customs as Carlos Valle. The Immigration and Naturalization Service has opened an investigation into the identity and origin of both men, Trafton said.
posted by jillosophy at 1/30/2008 12:53:00 PM
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