Crime & Safety

Brothers Convicted of Shooting Illegal Immigrants

The men opened fire on migrant farmers during a botched robbery.

Two brothers who robbed and shot farm workers in an avocado grove near Temecula were found guilty.

Esau Bravo Vasquez, 28, and Ismael Vasquez, 20, face multiple life prison terms when they're sentenced by Riverside County Superior Court Judge Michele Levine on April 15.

They were convicted Wednesday of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, kidnapping and making criminal threats. The Perris men are being held without bail at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta.

Find out what's happening in Temeculawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The attack happened on McMillan Farm in DeLuz on April 7, 2007, when the Vasquez brothers armed themselves with guns and went looking for farm workers to rob in the area of Carancho and Los Gatos roads, according to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.   

They ambushed one migrant, Vicente Avalos, who was bound, beaten and stripped of his earnings, according to pretrial testimony.   

Find out what's happening in Temeculawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Avalos told sheriff's investigators that the defendants hid him behind a boulder and waited for seven hours for other migrants to arrive to collect their pay from the foreman.

The victim said one of the brothers held him at gunpoint, marched him out to the group of migrants and demanded the money from the foreman.

Without warning, shots rang out. Avalos broke free and ran, but was shot in the torso. Another man was also shot as he walked past the group, according to testimony.

To read about the defense's argument,

To read Avalos' story,


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