The Region - News from May 12, 1985

A 12-year-old boy is recuperating in a Tijuana hospital after the removal of a rib that doctors say saved his life by deflecting a bullet fired by a U.S. Border Patrol agent. Doctors removed the rib from Humberto Carrillo Estrada because they said it was protruding and causing him extreme pain. Dr. Pedro Cervantes, a spokesman at State Workers Hospital, said the boy was in good condition in the intensive care unit and would remain hospitalized for about a week. The San Diego County district attorney’s office has declined to prosecute the agent who fired his weapon during the April 18 incident, ruling that he feared for the safety of two colleagues. The agents said that youths on the Mexican side were throwing rocks across the border. The state attorney general is reviewing the decision.