THE BORDER REPORT

Law enforcement sources in southeastern Arizona say a long-time rancher found murdered Saturday night was shot at with a handgun stolen from a home in Portal, near the New Mexico border. Take the information with a grain of salt for now; it's a bit soon in the investigation, but my source has been reliable in the past. Robert Krentz, a 58-year-old rancher whose family has worked the Arizona country for more than a century wasn't shy about calling in the U.S. Border Patrol when he suspected a load of dope was being moved in. Last week, a friend of his from Douglas says, he called in an interdiction to the Feds. Friends say he was also known for helping illegal immigrants when he deemed they needed water or rescuing. Motive? Don't know yet. The gun, allegedly a Glock nine-millimeter, was stolen sometime before the shooting. Krentz had gone out onto his property to check a water line, taking his dog with him and riding his Polaris. There was a radio call in to the Border Patrol, then nothing. He suffered one gunshot to the chest; the dog took several rounds. Krentz was slumped over his ATV when deputies found him. He had tried to drive away, I'm told. Here is the account from the Cochise County Sheriff's Office:

Cochise County Sheriff’s Office Investigates Shooting Death On Saturday March 27, 2010 at approximately 6:20 pm the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office was advised of a possible missing person in a rural area northeast of Douglas.  The missing person was reported to be working on his ranch which covers approximately 35,000 acres between Douglas and Apache. The information received was from a brother of the missing subject advising that the two of them were working on their ranch early in the morning hours using separate vehicles.  The brother advised that the two were operating off of hand held radio phones and between 10:00 and 10:30 he heard his brother, Robert Krentz, call him. The brother advised that all he was able to understand was “illegal alien” and “hurt”.  The brother advised that Robert always helped people in need and this was not uncharacteristic for him to try and help someone who was hurt.  The brother advised that he called Robert back to have him repeat the transmission without success.  The brother advised that the two were scheduled to meet at a predetermined location on the ranch at 12:00 noon and Robert did not show up.  The brother advised that he waited for awhile and continued to try and reach Robert without success, so he and other family members and friends began searching the ranch in the areas that the two were working. When the family and friends were unable to locate Robert they contacted the Sheriff’s Office for assistance. The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team deployed to the area with 6 mobile units and 2 all terrain vehicles, as well as air support assistance from the Department of Public Safety Ranger helicopter.  Shortly before midnight the helicopter crew advised that they had located the missing subject who was deceased inside of his Polaris ATV and his dog was with him appeared to be injured. Sheriff’s Deputies and Detectives responded to the area and confirmed that Robert Krentz was deceased at the scene and his dog was critically injured. The investigators tracked the Polaris path back approximately 1000 feet to where the incident began.  Detectives were able to determine that Robert Krentz apparently came upon one subject in the area.  While Robert Krentz was still in his vehicle he appeared to have been shot, along with his dog, when he drove his vehicle away from the scene at a high rate of speed before becoming unconscious. Foot tracks at the scene were identified and followed south by Sheriff’s Deputies, trackers from U.S. Border Patrol, and Department of Corrections dog chase teams. All agencies, and air support from US Border Patrol were able to follow signs and tracks approximately twenty miles south to the United States/Mexico border.  No suspects have been apprehended as of this time. The body of Robert Krentz was transported to the Cochise County medical Examiners Office for the completion of an autopsy to determine approximate time of death.  The dog will also be analyzed for evidence purposes before being released back to the Krentz family. Sheriff Larry Dever has scheduled a press conference to be held at the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, 205 N Judd Drive in Bisbee at 1:00 pm to review the details we have listed above.  The press conference is scheduled to last approximately 45 minutes and will be in the lobby of the building.

By all accounts, Krentz was a legitimate individual, not involved in trafficking or vigilantism. The Tucson Weekly's Leo Banks had quoted him in a story a few years ago when writing about the area between New Mexico and Arizona. Two men crossing from Chihuahua had killed one of his newborn calves with a metal post and cooked it on the spot. A second friend says Krentz was scheduled to meet with former Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo today. Tancredo is down in southeastern Arizona interviewing residents about border issues. Since leaving office, he's been speaking at Tea Party Movements. The timing is curious. If you'll recall, the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps were scheduled to storm southern Arizona this weekend, "locked and loaded," to pursue illegal immigrants and drug smugglers. The organization says it disbanded after putting out the call to arms because too many people had taken them seriously and they couldn't assure everyone who showed up wouldn't lose it. Separate law enforcement sources say another group of vigilantes has sprung up, accosting Americans and Mexicans alike, claiming they work for the Department of Homeland Security. One of the suspects is from Tempe. The Chiricahuas have grown increasingly busy in recent years, with drug smugglers using the Pelencillo Mountains near Rodeo, New Mexico, as a favored transport route. We'll keep on this story as it develops over the day. Photos Credit: A good friend in the area.