Brent Begin, The Examiner
2008-05-09 10:00:00.0
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SAN FRANCISCO -

A regular contributor to NPR who works in marketing in San Diego, Spring tracked down Richard Carelli, Michelle Pinkerton and their two daughters. Carelli and Pinkerton, who were on the run for almost three months, are expected to enter pleas today in the slaying of San Francisco resident Leonard “Milo” Hoskins.

What inspired you to follow the trail of a suspected killer? My 40th birthday was coming up and I really wanted to do something meaningful. When I saw the news reports about Vianna [Carelli] and how her parents were wanted and they might be in Mexico, it hit me. I have a daughter around the same age. I figured I’d spend a week looking for them, so I packed a sleeping bag and all the equipment I’d need and I took off.

How did you find them? I thought, Baja’s a desert with one road. How hard could it be? I just went down and asked at all the spots where travelers stop. My first break came at a Pemex station where the workers recognized a picture. I eventually found them in El Rosario where Michelle was teaching dance at 10 pesos an hour. It only took me a couple days.

Did you ever come in contact with Carelli? The local commandante sets up the arrest and Carelli comes out shackled. He looks up at me and says, “What’s this all about? Who are you?” He has this look in his eyes, like he knows everything about his life is finished.

This case has gone through strange turns. What can we learn from all this? I hope it leads to serious change, not only in your city of San Francisco, but with the U.S. relationship with Mexico. There just isn’t much communication between authorities in the two countries. I mean, the military guys at the checkpoints hadn’t even heard anything about this case.

bbegin@examiner.com