Wilmer Noe Velasquez-Mejia, 35, from El Salvador, was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge James A. Soto to serve 13 months in prison for assault of a federal officer. Velasquez-Mejia had previously pleaded guilty to this offense.
On Aug. 26, 2015, while illegally in the United States after having been deported on previous occasions, Velasquez-Mejia was attempting to break into occupied vehicles stopped at an intersection near Three Points, Ariz. The victim, a United States Border Patrol agent, responded to the intersection to assist. Upon seeing the Border Patrol agent, Velasquez-Mejia ran away and ignored his instructions to stop. The victim pursued Velasquez-Mejia, who repeatedly resisted and struggled with the victim and continued to run from him. At one point during the struggle Velasquez-Mejia charged at the victim and gestured as if he had a firearm concealed under his clothing, repeatedly challenging the victim to kill him. Velasquez-Mejia then jumped into a nearby car through an open window. The driver was able to force Velasquez-Mejia out of the car, at which point the victim was finally able to arrest Velasquez-Mejia.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the United States Border Patrol.