EL INDIO - The family of an undocumented immigrant has filed an $8
million wrongful-death lawsuit against a rancher and a hunter who said
he thought the man was a wild hog.
Celestino Lopez, 36, was struck in the abdomen Jan. 31, 2004. Lopez
had been walking with a group of immigrants who stopped near a canal
in the dark after seeing a shadowy figure, according to the suit filed
last week in Eagle Pass.
Jaime Gonzalez shot Lopez from about 150 feet away and told police he
thought he was shooting at a hog. Two other hunters put Lopez in the
back of a pickup and met an ambulance on the way to the hospital.
The lawsuit names Gonzalez and Eduardo Rodriguez, owner of the ranch
where Lopez was shot.
It alleges the death was "reasonably foreseeable" by the shooter.
The suit also claims the defendants failed to seek medical assistance
"in a timely or effective manner."
An attorney appointed by the Mexican government to represent Lopez's
widow and five children said they are tired of waiting.
"We've decided to give up on the efforts of the district attorney
filing any charges at this time," said J.A. Garcia. "At this point, it
looks like we are going to have to go to a jury for relief on this
case."
Gonzalez, Rodriguez and their attorneys could not be reached for
comment. |