Head of Phoenix Immigration and Customs Enforcement office dies en route to DM event

07:43 PM MST on Tuesday, March 16, 2004

By Natalie Tejeda, Fox 11 News

Natalie Tejeda reporting for NewsChannel 3

TUCSON -- FOX 11 News has learned that one of the highest ranking Homeland Security officials in Arizona is dead.

FOX 11 News

Thomas DeRouchey, interim director of the ICE office in Phoenix, was found dead.

But mystery surrounds his death and both local and federal agencies are saying little.

Thomas DeRouchey, interim special agent in charge of the Phoenix Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was on the way to an announcement of a new federal border initiative by Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Asa Hutchinson at Davis Monthan Air Force Base.

DeRouchey was found dead in his car on Interstate 10 about a mile north of Tangerine Road. That is inside the Marana city limits.

"The firefighters did find him in a car in the median and he was deceased," said Katie Heiden, a spokesperson for Northwest Fire in Tucson.

Heiden confirmed that DeRouchey was alone in the car and a weapon was found in the car.

Michael J. Garcia, assistant secretary of ICE, issued a statement confirming the death and offering condolences to DeRouchey's family and friends.

Dr. Bruce Parks, Pima County Medical Examiner, refused to release any details of the death, but confirmed that he is investigating. Parks referred all comments to the Marana Police Department.

The Marana Police Department refused any comment, saying any information would have to come from ICE.

The announcement of a new border initiative by the Bush administration along the Arizona-Mexico border went on as scheduled Tuesday morning with no mention of DeRouchey's death.

ICE spokesperson Russell Ahr told the Associated Press that DeRouchey's death occurred in a "one vehicle accident", but local paramedics say they responded to a call of "gun shots" and not an accident. Ahr claimed there was damage to DeRouchey's vehicle.

DeRouchey had been a federal agent since 1988. He was named interim head of the Phoenix office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office last summer. ICE is a part of the Department of Homeland Security. No mention of DeRouchey's death was made at the Homeland Security event at Davis Monthan Air Force Base on Tuesday where the assistant secretary announced a new initiative to deal with border issues over the next several months.