Arizona Rancher Shot Dead on his Property Near Southwest Border

Longtime Arizona Rancher Rob Krentz was found shot to death on his property late Saturday night. Authorities have not concluded that the suspect was an illegal alien, but his brother Phil Krentz said that the last time he spoke to Rob, he was responding to an injured illegal alien.

Krentz was found, along with his dog who had also been shot and killed, by an Arizona Public Safety helicopter.

The Krentz family owns a 35,000-acre ranch in Arizona about 20 miles north of the Southwest border. Authorities say they found footprints near Krentz’s vehicle and followed them to the U.S./Mexican border. Krentz was scheduled to meet with former Congressman Tom Tancredo and other ranchers from along the Southwest border this past weekend to discuss violence in the region.

NumbersUSA offers its condolences to the Krentz family, and we’ll have more on this story as more is learned.

For more information, see the Arizona Daily Star and the Denver Westword.