Two Mexican cousins wanted for rape and kidnapping in Colorado – who broke bond twice – have been traced to a Mexican jail where they were held in connection with a murder, authorities said.
The FBI in Denver obtained a federal warrant to bring them back to Colorado.
A Denver bail bondsman posted the cousins’ photos on his new “rewards4fugitives” website and received phone calls from Mexico.
An Adams County sheriff’s deputy, who was born in Mexico, recognized the cousins’ hometown in a snapshot seized from their vehicle.
The cousins – Miguel Robles-Martinez, 22, and Edgar Robles-Vazquez, 20 – now face federal charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution in addition to state charges of sexual assault, kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon.
The alleged crimes targeted young women who were assaulted in 2003, according to an FBI affidavit filed last week in federal court.
The cousins are wanted for assaulting two young women in a white Chevrolet Tahoe near Thornton, authorities said.
“The girls apparently thought they were going to a movie and ended up in an open field,” said Sgt. Louis Dixon, spokesman for the Adams County sheriff.
A search of that vehicle led to seizure of photos showing Robles family members in Mexico.
The men were arrested a year later and released on bond of $20,000 each. They failed to show up at court hearings in June 2005 but later surrendered to police.
Court authorities again let them out of jail on bail, according to the federal affidavit.
And Denver bail bondsman Ben Mares, who put up their bail, ventured to Mexico at one point searching for the cousins.
Adams County investigators were stumped until Deputy Manuel Carillo glanced at the photos seized from the Chevy Tahoe and recognized a grocery store in Zacatecas. This pointed investigators to that area.
Then on Nov. 5, Mares began posting photos and identifying information about 40 or so fugitives from around the United States on his website.
Callers from Mexico told Mares of a murder in Guadalajara and suspects fitting his description in a jail at Colatclan nearby, the federal affidavit said.
Mares then called Adams County authorities. They arranged a conference call drawing in U.S. attorney officials.
One of the cousins – Miguel Robles-Martinez – apparently remained in the jail, the federal affidavit said. Edgar Robles-Vazquez “was bonded out of the prison by his father.”
