52 Illegal Immigrants Found in Apartments

Federal authorities took 52 illegal immigrants into custody Monday after they were discovered at an apartment complex in Bell.

The group, which included men, women and children, were to be returned to Tijuana by bus, said Thomas F. Gaines of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

“Since we were unable to develop information that would lead to the prosecution of a smuggler, the people will be returned to Mexico,” Gaines said.

The immigrants were found in two vacant apartments in the 6500 block of Loma Vista Place. Bell police notified the INS of their whereabouts after receiving an anonymous telephone tip, Police Sgt. Stan Loder said.

Loder said there was no clue as to who had brought the illegal immigrants to the city. He said he believed the immigrants had arrived recently.