On May 11, 2015, at about 8:30 p.m. DPS Tucson Operational Communications received a report of a suspected illegal immigrant who had suffered a “heart attack” in the area of milepost 292 near Interstate 10, about 30 miles east of Tucson. The person reporting the problem said she was the sister of the victim and she had received a phone call from a number she did not recognize telling her that her brother was deceased and gave her information as to where the body was located. Highway Patrol officers and Ranger 54 responded to the area. They were assisted by agents for the U.S. Border Patrol and medical personnel from Mescal Fire. They were unable to locate the body. Shortly after midnight, the search was called off.
During the search and afterwards DPS Sergeant Rudy Lujan remained in phone contact with the sister of the victim and, through persistent efforts, eventually made contact with the leader of the illegal immigrant group. Sgt. Lujan was able to develop information as to landmarks in the search area that would help searchers find the body.
On May 12, 2015, in the morning, the search resumed. Ranger 54 was able to take the information obtained by Sgt. Lujan, and locate the area where the body was left. They began a search, including landing and doing a ground search. Because of low fuel Ranger 54 needed to leave the area. They passed the information they had developed while doing their search, to search and rescue deputies from the Pima County Sheriff Office and K9 agents from the U.S. Border Patrol BORSTAR unit. Using that information, at about 4:00 p.m., Pima County Deputies and U.S. Border Patrol K9 agents were able to locate and recover the body of the victim.