San Ysidro
An unidentified man was killed Tuesday morning during an exchange of gunfire in the Otay River Valley between a six-man border task force and three suspected thieves, police said.
The man was flown by Life Flight helicopter to UC San Diego Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead of a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
The task force--composed of Border Patrol agents and San Diego police officers--was patrolling at 1:40 a.m. in the Otay River Valley area about one-fourth of a mile east of the Beyer Street Bridge when they saw three men robbing a group of undocumented aliens, police spokesman Bill Robinson said.
As one of the bandits left the group and approached the officers, shots rang out, Robinson said. Members of the task force returned the fire, hitting the unidentified man.
Two suspects fled the scene but were caught a short distance away, Robinson said. Booked into County Jail on suspicion of theft and assault were Jesus Gallardo, 27, and Danny Conde Sesma, 28, both of Chula Vista.
No one else was injured.
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