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7 People Indicted On Federal Charges Of Helping Suspect In Newman Officer's Murder Try To Escape To Mexico

STANISLAUS COUNTY (CBS13) – The seven people accused of helping the suspect in the murder of Newman police officer Ronil Singh avoid police have been federally indicted.

The district attorney's office announced on Friday that the seven people were indicted by a federal grand jury on conspiring to aid and abet Gustavo Perez Arriaga.

Prosecutors have said Arriaga was trying to escape to Mexico after shooting and killing Cpl. Singh on Dec. 26.

The seven people charged are as follows:

Erik Razo Quiroz, 29, of Merced; Adrian Virgen-Mendoza, 25, of Fairfield; Conrado Virgen Mendoza, 34, of Chowchilla; Erasmo Villegas-Suarez, 36, of Buttonwillow; Ana Leydi Cervantes-Sanchez, 31, of Newman; Bernabe Madrigal-Castaneda, 59, of Lamont; and Maria Luisa Moreno, 57, of Lamont.

According to court documents, prosecutors allege the seven transported, hosted and provided Arriaga with clothes, money and a new cellphone. They also allegedly hid the truck Arriaga was driving when the shooting took place and disposed of the gun.

Further, prosecutors say the conspirators planned to wire money to smuggle Arriaga out of California and back to Mexico.

Arriaga, authorities say, is in the US illegally from Mexico.

The case has attracted national attention. President Donald Trump, seizing on Arriaga's immigration status, has used the case to push for the building of a border wall.

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