Man charged with running ‘filthy’ stash house with threats of violence ready to plead guilty

A little more than two months after his arrest, a man accused of operating a stash house where 80 people, including women and children, were threatened with violence and rarely provided food wants to plead guilty.

Border Patrol arrested Madizon Alonso-Salgado, a Mexican citizen who was born in 1989, on April 26 in Mission.

Alonso-Salgado, who initially denied being in charge, announced through a federal assistant public defender Tuesday that he is ready to plead guilty and would like to be re-arraigned as soon as possible, court records show.

He was charged in an indictment with four counts of bringing in and harboring people in the country illegally.

Border Patrol agents received information April 26 that a man with blond hair was running a stash house at 1819 W. 26th St. in Mission. Investigative agents conducting surveillance arrested him at a barber shop after following a tan Chevrolet Malibu that left the residence, according to a criminal complaint.

When authorities approached the passengers in that vehicle, one of them matched the description of the caretaker. That’s Alonso-Salgado, according to Border Patrol.

He was questioned about smuggling and Border Patrol said he claimed there was only one person in the house, while the passenger, who was in the country illegally, told agents there were more than 40 there, according to the complaint.

After Alonso-Salgado gave authorities consent to search, Border Patrol found 79 people in the residence, including four children. The passenger had also been staying in the house, according to Border Patrol.

In a post-arrest interview, Border Patrol said Alonso-Salgado claimed he paid $7,000 in smuggling fees in early March and later agreed to help a caretaker in exchange for staying at a house with better accommodations.

He said his involvement with the caretaker was limited to transporting people to a grocery store parking lot on five occasions, earning $500 each time, according to the complaint.

However, Alonso-Salgado said he wasn’t in charge of the house, Border Patrol said.

Material witnesses in the case, however, told Border Patrol agents that Alonso-Salgado constantly threatened physical violence, hardly ever provided food and commanded everyone staying at the house to do what he said.

“(He) added the condition of the house was terrible, mainly citing the filthy restroom and no space to lie and sleep,” the complaint stated. “(He) also said the caretaker constantly threatened physical violence, hardly ever provided food, and commanded people in the house to follow his direction.”

Alsono-Salgado also told investigators that approximately 200 people had moved through the house while he was there, according to the complaint.

A re-arraignment date had not been scheduled as of Friday, court records indicate.