Chief of elite police unit killed in hunt for California fugitive in Mexico

The Tijuana chief of an elite state police unit that searches for U S fugitives in Mexico nicknamed The Gringo Hunters was killed in a shootout Wednesday while trying to arrest a prisoner who escaped from Central California Related Articles Two men take deals in East Bay homicide Alameda DA moves to charge special circumstances against man who allegedly murdered his family Oakland police launch review after fentanyl death of top prosecutor s estranged husband Man arrested in fatal San Jose shooting East Bay man gets years for killing and burying victim in shallow grave Abigail Esparza Reyes served as the head of the international liaison group in Tijuana for the Baja California State Citizen Assurance Force or FESC for the last eight years The unit often works closely with counterparts in San Diego law enforcement To the family and loved ones of Officer Abigail we recognize her bravery and dedication to the utility of her state Baja California Gov Marina del Pilar vila reported in a announcement posted on social media Abigail s life will be honored and her death will not go unpunished Cesar Hernandez California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation The crew had been looking for Cesar Hern ndez a prisoner who escaped from custody in Delano in December after arriving at the Kern County Superior Courthouse Mexican executives stated Thursday Hern ndez was sentenced in to years to life with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder in Los Angeles County according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation He was located in a house in the southeastern Tijuana neighborhood of Barcelona Residencial and during an attempt to arrest him Esparza was shot and wounded representatives announced Esparza was rushed to the Red Cross in Tijuana where she died Several law enforcement agencies including FESC Tijuana police and the National Guard were deployed to the area where the suspect was held to have barricaded himself inside the house But he managed to flee No one else was detected in the house administrators reported Shield camera footage obtained by several Tijuana media outlets shows a man considered to be the suspect running away wearing only underwear and changing into a yellow worker s jacket A multiagency search is underway to find the suspect Mexican representatives announced Thursday Gen Laureano Carrillo director of the State Police expressed his condolences to Esparza s loved ones saying she will be remembered and honored for her courage passion and dedication to police work in which her direct role in the arrest of individuals who at the time were fugitives from justice in the United States and other countries stands out Esparza grew up in Tijuana and had secretly dreamed of becoming a police officer according to a profile of the unit in The Washington Post