KOLD News 13Border militia activist one of three charged in Arivaca double murder

Border militia activist one of three charged in Arivaca double murder

By Toby Herschler & Teresa Jun - email

TUCSON, AZ (KOLD) - Pima County Sheriff's investigators have charged three people with a May 30 home invasion that left a father and 9-year-old girl dead.

Shawna Forde, Jason Eugene Bush and Albert Robert Gaxiola face murder, burglary and aggravated assault charges.

Investigators say the suspects broke into a home in Arivaca, shooting and killing 29-year old Raul Flores and his daughter Brisenia.

The child's mother was also wounded, but was able to return gunfire.

Detectives believe the suspects were after money and drugs.  Authorities say Raul Flores had drug connections.

Investigators say Forde was the mastermind of the operation. She and Gaxiola are in the Pima county jail.  Answering media questions while led out in handcuffs, both suspects denied responsibility for the deadly home invasion.

Investigators say Bush is the suspected gunman. He is hospitalized in Kingman with wounds investigators say he got during the home invasion.

Forde has ties to border militia groups and anti-immigration activists.  Authorities say she founded a border watchdog group called "Minutemen American Defense."

"This is a very unusual woman," said Clarence Dupnik, Pima County Sheriff.  "I don't really know what goes on in her mind, but she is obviously a very evil person.  If you look at her history closely, and you know what we know, she is, at best, a psychopath."

Detectives say more arrests could be coming.

A February 2009 news article out of the state of Washington details part of Forde's background:

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090222/NEWS01/702229930

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