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New Details on Suffocated Immigrants Case in Texas

Aired May 15, 2003 - 15:30   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: We're getting ghastly new details this hour from the case of those suffocated immigrants in Texas.
CNN's Gary Tuchman has gotten hold of a criminal complaint that wreaks of desperation, fear and ultimately death -- Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, this is the parking lot where the tractor trailer was found yesterday. The man accused of driving and owning it appeared in court today, his name is Tyrone Williams. But even before he went to court for an initial appearance today on the smuggling charges, he gave a lot of information, disturbing information and pitiful information to police, according to this criminal complaint. Tyrone Williams told police he entered into an agreement with two men at the Mexican border to transport the illegal immigrants.

He told police he was going to be paid $2,500 if he drove them to Robstown, Texas. He'd be paid $5,000 if he took them to Houston. He was taking them to Houston. He believed he only that 16 immigrants on board, he wasn't looking while they were being loading on to the back of the truck. We learned since there were 100 on board. While he was driving near Victoria, Texas, he saw a light dangling from his trailer. According to the criminal complaint he got out of the trailer at had struck stop, heard banging and screaming at the back of the trailer.

He opened the trailer door and told the police, there appeared to be something wrong with them. Referring to people lying on their sides in the truck. He heard a female yell el nino. That is Spanish for the little boy or little child. Indeed a 7-year-old boy was one of the 18 victims. He went into the store at the truck stop, bought 20 bottles of water for the people in the truck, but then got back to the truck, saw people dead, got afraid and panicked and then told police he unhooked his tractor from the trailer and drove off, stranding the immigrants in the trailer. He drove 120 miles to Houston, where he checked himself into a hospital, nurses said he looked very anxious and nervous.

They said he came there with another woman had who he claims was driving with him the whole time but that the woman named Phatama (ph) disappeared. At that point he started talking to authorities and told his story to police. One of the surviving witnesses says he paid $1,000 to be transported on this truck. So if there were at least 100 people, that gives you an idea of how much money is involved in this type of deed, $100,000 or more. If, indeed this particular man, who is in court today, is telling the truth about the $5,000, there's an open question whether he is telling the truth, perhaps it is more, we don't know. If he is telling the truth, he's a very small player in this terrible story. Back to you -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Gary Tuchman, we'll continue to follow it, thank you.

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 - 15:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We're getting ghastly new details this hour from the case of those suffocated immigrants in Texas.
CNN's Gary Tuchman has gotten hold of a criminal complaint that wreaks of desperation, fear and ultimately death -- Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, this is the parking lot where the tractor trailer was found yesterday. The man accused of driving and owning it appeared in court today, his name is Tyrone Williams. But even before he went to court for an initial appearance today on the smuggling charges, he gave a lot of information, disturbing information and pitiful information to police, according to this criminal complaint. Tyrone Williams told police he entered into an agreement with two men at the Mexican border to transport the illegal immigrants.

He told police he was going to be paid $2,500 if he drove them to Robstown, Texas. He'd be paid $5,000 if he took them to Houston. He was taking them to Houston. He believed he only that 16 immigrants on board, he wasn't looking while they were being loading on to the back of the truck. We learned since there were 100 on board. While he was driving near Victoria, Texas, he saw a light dangling from his trailer. According to the criminal complaint he got out of the trailer at had struck stop, heard banging and screaming at the back of the trailer.

He opened the trailer door and told the police, there appeared to be something wrong with them. Referring to people lying on their sides in the truck. He heard a female yell el nino. That is Spanish for the little boy or little child. Indeed a 7-year-old boy was one of the 18 victims. He went into the store at the truck stop, bought 20 bottles of water for the people in the truck, but then got back to the truck, saw people dead, got afraid and panicked and then told police he unhooked his tractor from the trailer and drove off, stranding the immigrants in the trailer. He drove 120 miles to Houston, where he checked himself into a hospital, nurses said he looked very anxious and nervous.

They said he came there with another woman had who he claims was driving with him the whole time but that the woman named Phatama (ph) disappeared. At that point he started talking to authorities and told his story to police. One of the surviving witnesses says he paid $1,000 to be transported on this truck. So if there were at least 100 people, that gives you an idea of how much money is involved in this type of deed, $100,000 or more. If, indeed this particular man, who is in court today, is telling the truth about the $5,000, there's an open question whether he is telling the truth, perhaps it is more, we don't know. If he is telling the truth, he's a very small player in this terrible story. Back to you -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Gary Tuchman, we'll continue to follow it, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com