A human smuggler who brought in three Chinese people who died in the trunk of his car which was abandoned in Paradise Hills was sentenced recently to five years in federal prison.
Neighbors called police after noticing an abandoned BMW with Texas license plates in the 2100 block of Jaime Avenue on Aug. 11, 2019. The neighbors saw blood dripping from the trunk.
San Diego Police opened the trunk to find the bodies of Ying Lin, Xueying Lin, and her 15-year-old son who was only identified in court records as B.L.Neil Edwin Valera, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Anthony Battaglia.
Video recordings show his car crossing through the San Ysidro Port of Entry at 3:14 p.m. two days before from Mexico. He was not seen leaving his vehicle in Paradise Hills, but was arrested at the downtown train depot.
“This smuggler showed a reckless disregard for the lives of his customers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman.
“This office will aggressively seek justice for victims who no longer have a voice,” said Grossman.
Valera was not charged with murder or manslaughter. He pleaded guilty in 2020 to bringing in aliens for financial gain and encouraging aliens to enter which results in death.
The judge said there was “an inherent danger with putting people in the trunks and compartments of cars.”
Valera told authorities he answered an online ad and agreed to smuggle cash across the border. He said a man named Alex made the arrangements and claimed he didn’t know there were people in the trunk.
Valera said he heard muffled screams coming from the trunk during the ride. He said he texted Alex, who told him to play loud music to cover the screams.
Court records say he was told he would be paid after he stopped a shopping mall. Valera said he stopped at a mall and a woman drove the car away. He said he never heard from Alex again.
