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3 Men, Including 2 Mexican Nationals, Arrested In Shooting Death Of El Dorado County Deputy Brian Ishmael

EL DORADO COUNTY (CBS13) — Three men have been arrested in connection to the shooting death of El Dorado County Deputy Brian Ishmael on Wednesday morning, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said in a Thursday afternoon press conference.

ELDO DEPUTY SUSPECTS
From left: Juan Carlos Vasquez-Orozco, Romiro Morales, Chris Ross. (credit: El Dorado County Sheriff's Department)

Juan Carlos Vazquez-Orozco, 20, and Romiro Bravo Morales, 22, said to be Mexican nationals, were arrested along with 47-year-old Christoper Garry Ross, the owner of the marijuana grow where the shooting happened.

Ishmael was shot and killed while he and a San Joaquin County off-duty deputy on a ride-along were responding to a 911 call regarding pot plants being stolen from a home in the area of Sand Ridge Road.

Click Here For More Coverage On The Death Of Deputy Brian Ishmael

Vazquez is being charged with murder and assault with a deadly weapon. Morales is being charged as an accessory to murder. Ross, the only occupant of the residence and the owner of the garden who made the 911 call, is being charged with involuntary manslaughter.

The El Dorado County Sheriff said in the press conference that if Ross had been truthful about the circumstances of his call for police, Ishmael's death may not have happened. Ross reportedly failed to inform that Vazquez and Morales, the men he accused of theft, were his business partners.

The marijuana farm contained 75 plants and was also confirmed as an illegal grow, the sheriff said.

A spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a statement about Vazquez and Morales' immigration status Thursday.

"At this time, we do not have any information on these individuals. However, we do expect to learn more about them in the coming days. This is another example of how sanctuary city laws, like SB54, bars our agency from getting into local jails to even conduct interviews," ICE spokesman Paul Prince said.

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