BACA: SEND BACK SUSPECT SHERIFF, DEPUTY'S WIDOW FIGHT FOR EXTRADITION.Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer Sheriff Lee Baca Leroy David Baca (b. May 27 1942, East Los Angeles, California) is the Sheriff of Los Angeles County, California. After graduating from Benjamin Franklin High School (Los Angeles) in 1960, Baca worked his way through East Los Angeles College before starting with the L.A. planned to travel to Mexico City Mexico City Spanish Ciudad de México City (pop., 2000: city, 8,605,239; 2003 metro. area est., 18,660,000), capital of Mexico. Located at an elevation of 7,350 ft (2,240 m), it is officially coterminous with the Federal District, which occupies 571 sq mi today to urge Mexican officials to extradite ex·tra·dite v. ex·tra·dit·ed, ex·tra·dit·ing, ex·tra·dites v.tr. 1. To give up or deliver (a fugitive, for example) to the legal jurisdiction of another government or authority. 2. the man accused of killing Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. sheriff's Deputy David March during a traffic stop in Irwindale. Baca and other Los Angeles officials plan to spend the two-day trip urging the Mexican government to reconsider their refusal to extradite Armando Garcia, the man authorities believe fatally shot the seven-year veteran of the Sheriff's Department and Saugus resident in April 2002. Baca's trip was spurred in part by Teri March, the slain deputy's widow, who has made the campaign to force Mexico to send back suspected killers to the United States for trial and punishment the focus of her life. ``Sheriff Baca is working to change the extradition treaty between the U.S. and Mexico, and to establish a rapport with the Mexican attorney general that, we hope, will lead to increased cooperation,'' said Deputy Faye Bugarin. An illegal Mexican immigrant and convicted felon An individual who commits a crime of a serious nature, such as Burglary or murder. A person who commits a felony. felon n. a person who has been convicted of a felony, which is a crime punishable by death or a term in state or federal prison. , 25-year-old Garcia is one of about 150 other suspects wanted on suspicion of murder who fled to Mexico to avoid arrest, according to District Attorney Steve Cooley. ``I'm hopeful that there will some resolution for all of the families that are suffering,'' said Teri March. Baca will be joined on the trip by Chief Michael Soderberg, chief of the Sheriff's Department detective division, and representatives from the district attorney, state attorney general and county counsel offices. Mexican authorities have refused to send Garcia back to Los Angeles County to be tried because, if convicted, he could be sentenced to death or to life in prison without possibility of parole, which are considered by the Mexican Supreme Court to be cruel and unusual punishment Such punishment as would amount to torture or barbarity, any cruel and degrading punishment not known to the Common Law, or any fine, penalty, confinement, or treatment that is so disproportionate to the offense as to shock the moral sense of the community. . Teri March so far has refused calls from Mexican officials to allow them to try Garcia, who would face a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison if convicted in Mexico. In addition, he would be eligible for parole, according to Enrique Zepeda, the western regional legal attache ATTACHE. Connected with, attached to. This word is used to signify those persons who are attached to a foreign legation. An attache is a public minister within the meaning of the Act of April 30, 1790, s. 37, 1 Story's L. U. S. for the Mexican attorney general. Cooley has called that policy ``patently unfair'' and scoffed at the notion that Mexican courts could deliver anything remotely resembling justice in the slaying of David March. Baca is also set to tour a prison where a man convicted in Mexico of committing a crime in Los Angeles Crime in Los Angeles has been a major problem in Southern California and concern for Angeleno residents since the early 20th Century. Crime has steadily decreased since the 1990's but since 2006, crime has increased. County is incarcerated incarcerated /in·car·cer·at·ed/ (in-kahr´ser-at?ed) imprisoned; constricted; subjected to incarceration. in·car·cer·at·ed adj. Confined or trapped, as a hernia. , Bugarin said. Heather MacDonald, (661) 257-5257 heather.macdonald(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (ran in SAC edition only) Teri March, widow of slain sheriff's Deputy David March, has been working to convince Mexican authorities to extradite the suspect in her husband's killing to the United States. David R. Crane/Staff Photographer |
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