A man who apparently committed suicide last week when El Paso police detectives went to arrest him was an agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, officials confirmed.
Detectives were serving search and arrest warrants on David R. Carpio, 36, when he apparently shot himself inside his Lower Valley apartment Feb. 20.
"Mr. Carpio was an immigration enforcement agent with ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in El Paso, Texas," said Leticia Zamarripa, a spokeswoman for ICE in El Paso. "He joined ERO on June 6, 2008. ICE is providing all possible support to the Carpio family during this difficult time."
Carpio had worked for a program targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal backgrounds.
Officials said Carpio had been sought by police on suspicion of continuous sexual abuse of a child stemming from allegations that a child had made at school the day before the warrant was served.
Soon after 2 a.m. Feb. 20, detectives with the Crimes Against Children unit and other officers were serving search and arrest warrants at Carpio's home at the San Marcos apartments, 921 N. Zaragoza.
Police said detectives were entering the apartment when they heard a gunshot. Detectives pulled back and called for the SWAT team. Carpio was found dead when the SWAT team entered the apartment. Carpio was alone.
Police spokesman Officer Javier Sambrano said the case remains under investigation by the Crimes Against Children unit.
"It is still an active investigation. They haven't charged anybody else," Sambrano said.
Copyright 2013 - El Paso Times, Texas
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
