Cochise County sheriff: truck driver assaulted at San Simon rest area has died; suspect indicted, fled country

Sheriff Mark Danos said this week that a truck driver who was assaulted at the San Simon rest area in February has died. The driver had been on life support after the nighttime attack, and the family chose to discontinue life-sustaining treatment on the man’s 50th birthday, Danos said.

The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office’s major crimes team investigated the case and developed leads that included search warrants executed out of state. Danos said investigators executed a search warrant “back in Pennsylvania,” identified a suspect who later fled the country and secured an indictment in the case.

“We have an indictment for him for this crime,” Danos said. “So we’re not giving that up. … We’re doing everything we can to get that individual back into our country, back into Cochise County to stand trial for this.”

Danos described the initial incident as occurring around 10 p.m. at the San Simon rest area; the victim called 911 and then the call disconnected. He said the victim later was found in critical condition and was placed on life support.

The sheriff said the site is challenging for investigations because it is a transient location with limited camera coverage, and he reiterated a request for more surveillance at rest areas. The sheriff’s office has not released additional case documents while the investigation and efforts to return the suspect continue.

The sheriff credited his major crimes team and local media for keeping attention on the case but did not provide additional names or a timeline for extradition. No court docket numbers or formal extradition steps were released during the broadcast.