A federal judge ordered a Tijuana man Sept. 5 to be detained without bail in the deaths of three Chinese migrants whose bodies were found in the trunk of his car that was found abandoned in Paradise Hills.
The bodies were discovered on Aug. 11 after someone called San Diego Police to report a foul odor coming from the vehicle of Neil Edwin Valera, 50. An officer discovered blood was dripping from Valera’s BMW that was parked in the 2100 block of Jaime Avenue.
Valera’s vehicle was registered to him and had Texas license plates. Valera was arrested Aug. 31 at the downtown bus station.
He is charged with inducing Ying Lin, 39, to come into the U.S. in violation of U.S. immigration laws and with her death. The U.S. Attorney’s office said Lin’s 15-year-old son’s body was also found in the trunk along with another Asian woman who has not been identified.
“These tragic cases are grim reminders that attempting to cross into the United States illegally in the trunk of a car—and putting your faith, hope and future in the hands of smugglers–is extremely dangerous,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer in a release.
Valeria pleaded not guilty to the charges and was ordered detained by U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Major. He remains in the Metropolitan Correctional Center.
