Stories from the past

50 years ago

The body of Joseph Crawley, missing since June 24 when the panel van he was driving plunged into the Colorado River near Palo Verde, was discovered at noon yesterday by a party of fishermen on the river, two miles north of Walter’s Camp.

Crawley, 47, of Palo Verde, had spent the day of June 24 by the river with his wife.

At about 6 p.m. Crawley reportedly told his wife that he wanted to eat in Palo Verde.

She said that she wanted to stay by the river. There was allegedly an argument, and Crawley got into the truck and started north on Rip Rap Road which runs along the river.

40 years ago

CALEXICO — Local police and federal authorities have launched a belated investigation into a shooting Sunday night involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent and a Mexican national.

The victim, who had apparently scaled a fence at the international border with several other men, was shot in the leg by the Border Patrol agent.

The incident occurred Sunday night behind the International Golf and Country Club along the border in Calexico.

Calexico Police Chief Marcel Jojola today said the Border Patrol has offered no explanation why local police were not notified of the Sunday night shooting until Tuesday. Calexico officers first learned of the incident, he said, by reading a Mexicali newspaper.

The victim was identified as Jose Rodriguez Gomez, about 30, who was shot in the knee. The Mexicali man was first taken to a Mexicali hospital and was somehow transported to El Centro Community Hospital Tuesday afternoon, where the bullet was removed, according to a hospital spokesman. The victim was reported in satisfactory condition today.

The Border Patrol officer involved in the shooting was identified as W.V. Elliot.

However, the Border Patrol today would neither confirm nor deny whether Elliot has been relieved from duty pending the outcome of the investigation. There was no indication how long the investigation would take.