Girl's Body Smuggled Across Border

CHINO, Calif. (AP) â€” Fearing bureaucratic red tape, a man apparently smuggled his 15-year-old daughter's body into America after she died during a Mexican vacation. <br><br>Stacy Becket drowned late

Wednesday, July 5th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

CHINO, Calif. (AP) â€” Fearing bureaucratic red tape, a man apparently smuggled his 15-year-old daughter's body into America after she died during a Mexican vacation.

Stacy Becket drowned late Saturday after falling out of a boat in a river about 25 miles south of Mexicali, Chino police said. Mexican authorities searched the river for 16 hours.

The girl's father found the body and secreted her back across the border, apparently fearing the hassles and delays that could have resulted if handled through official channels.

``They were in a state of grief, just bewildered as to what to do,'' Sgt. Stuart Jones said Tuesday. ``They knew Mexico was not the place they wanted to be. There's a lot of horror stories going around about things that happen to people down there.''

After crossing the border, the father drove his daughter to the Chino Valley Medical Center, about 40 miles east of Los Angeles. Police would not release the father's name.

No arrests had been made and the investigation was continuing.