Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Disturbing Details in Texas Criminal Complaint
Aired May 15, 2003 - 14:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: This just in to CNN. Our Gary Tuchman via telephone in Victoria, Texas. New developments on that story we've been following about the 18 people that suffocated after trying to cross the border out of Mexico into the United States.
Gary, what can you tell us?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, we have just received the criminal complaint in this case, and it has some startling and disturbing details regarding the man who has been arrested in this case, Tyrone Williams, who just appeared in the court in Houston, who you see in your screen right now. He is charged with smuggling aliens, conspiracy to smuggle aliens.
According to the complaint, he says he entered into an agreement with two men at the Mexican border named Joe and Abel (ph), whose last names he doesn't know, to transport illegal immigrants. He claims he thought there was only 16 people in the back of his truck. Indeed there were at least 100. Now, he says while he was driving near Victoria, Texas, where we have been the last two days, he saw a light dangling from his trailer.
He got out of his trailer at the service station where this truck was found. He said he heard banging and screaming in the back of the truck. He opened the trailer door and he told police in this criminal complaint that -- quote -- "there appeared to be something wrong with them" -- unquote.
He says he heard a female yelling "el nino." "El nino" is Spanish for the little boy, remember the little 7-year-old boy, who was one of the 18 people who died.
He says he panicked, he ran into the store, got 20 bottles of water, brought the water to the truck, realized there were many people dead. He then unhooked his tractor from the trailer and drove the tractor off. Drove 120 miles, just left the trailer behind at the gas station. Ends up going to Houston. He then went to a hospital in Houston where nurses say he was very anxious and nervous, and that is where he ended up talking to police and telling them the details of this case.
Police say he was with another woman who he says was driving with him in the tractor trailer. That other woman has since disappeared, but according to police, this man, Tyrone Williams, has acknowledged transporting illegal immigrants. He told police that he was promised $5,000 if he took the immigrants from the Mexican border to the city of Houston -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: All right. Our Gary Tuchman, continuing to follow that story out of Victoria, Texas. Thank you for the latest developments.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 15, 2003 - 14:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: This just in to CNN. Our Gary Tuchman via telephone in Victoria, Texas. New developments on that story we've been following about the 18 people that suffocated after trying to cross the border out of Mexico into the United States.
Gary, what can you tell us?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, we have just received the criminal complaint in this case, and it has some startling and disturbing details regarding the man who has been arrested in this case, Tyrone Williams, who just appeared in the court in Houston, who you see in your screen right now. He is charged with smuggling aliens, conspiracy to smuggle aliens.
According to the complaint, he says he entered into an agreement with two men at the Mexican border named Joe and Abel (ph), whose last names he doesn't know, to transport illegal immigrants. He claims he thought there was only 16 people in the back of his truck. Indeed there were at least 100. Now, he says while he was driving near Victoria, Texas, where we have been the last two days, he saw a light dangling from his trailer.
He got out of his trailer at the service station where this truck was found. He said he heard banging and screaming in the back of the truck. He opened the trailer door and he told police in this criminal complaint that -- quote -- "there appeared to be something wrong with them" -- unquote.
He says he heard a female yelling "el nino." "El nino" is Spanish for the little boy, remember the little 7-year-old boy, who was one of the 18 people who died.
He says he panicked, he ran into the store, got 20 bottles of water, brought the water to the truck, realized there were many people dead. He then unhooked his tractor from the trailer and drove the tractor off. Drove 120 miles, just left the trailer behind at the gas station. Ends up going to Houston. He then went to a hospital in Houston where nurses say he was very anxious and nervous, and that is where he ended up talking to police and telling them the details of this case.
Police say he was with another woman who he says was driving with him in the tractor trailer. That other woman has since disappeared, but according to police, this man, Tyrone Williams, has acknowledged transporting illegal immigrants. He told police that he was promised $5,000 if he took the immigrants from the Mexican border to the city of Houston -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: All right. Our Gary Tuchman, continuing to follow that story out of Victoria, Texas. Thank you for the latest developments.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
