Mesa police find 22 at suspected drop house

by Senta Scarborough and Jourdan Rassas - Jul. 29, 2008 02:25 PM
The Arizona Republic

Neighbors were surprised to see a parade of police cars and black Suburban's roll down the quiet streets of their west Mesa neighborhood Tuesday afternoon.

Mesa police discovered at least 22 people in a suspected illegal immigrant drop house near Dobson Road and Eight Street, near the Mesa Riverview retail complex.

Police received a 911 call that led officers to the home in the 500 block of South Visalia, said Detective Diana Tapia, a police spokeswoman Police notified the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

There was a line of suspected undocumented immigrants handcuffed and on their knees in the shade of house as police took them individually to the side of the house for questioning.

Neighbors, who didn’t want to be identified, said they never suspected the home was used as a drop house. They said the neighborhood is quiet and all the neighbors watch out for one another.

Earlier Tuesday, ICE detained 49 suspected undocumented immigrants and one suspected smuggler in Phoenix after police responded to a call notifying them of a possible drop house.