Dangerous fugitive located

A Wednesday night traffic stop by the Clay County Sheriff's Office led to the detention of 12 undocumented aliens, including one wanted in Florida for attempted first-degree murder with a weapon.

At approximately 9:55 p.m., a Clay County deputy initiated a traffic stop on a white 2001 Ford Econoline van, registered to Absolute Construction in Sibley. The traffic stop was initiated for a speeding violation in the 3000-mile of Highway 71, north of Spencer.

A check of the driver's license status of Aguiles Tomayo-Cruz, 42, Spencer, revealed he was suspended from driving in Iowa. As the investigation continued, identities were established and deputies determined each occupant was undocumented and in the United States illegally. Based on this information, all 12 were transported to the Clay County Jail.

At the jail, the identities of all were checked and it was determined one occupant, Mauricio Ruiz-Matus, 27, Spencer, was wanted on a Florida arrest warrant for attempted first-degree murder with a weapon.

According to the warrant issued out of the city of Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County, Fla., on August 18, 2003, Ruiz-Matus "did unlawfully, with a premeditated design to effect the death of any human being, attempt to kill and murder… a human being, and during the commission of the crime did carry, display, use, threaten to use, or attempt to use any weapon. The Florida charge identifies a knife as the weapon Ruiz-Matus is accused of using. A bond was set at $75,000.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were contacted and the Clay County Sheriff's Office worked with the agency to determine the status on all those detained. After all the detainees status's were checked by ICE, agents asked local authorities to hold the driver, Tomayo-Cruz, for his driving infractions, Ruiz-Matus on the Florida warrant and Martin Tello-Vidana, 26, of Spencer, for previous criminal conduct.

The remaining undocumented aliens were released upon acknowledgement from ICE agents that holds for deportation would not be issued.

Tomayo-Cruz and Tello-Vidana were held for ICE agents and have since been transported, their current status is unknown. Ruiz-Matus is being held in the Clay County Jail awaiting extradition to Florida.