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A 33-year-old resident of Mexico was sentenced Thursday to more than three years in prison for throwing rocks at a U.S. Border Patrol helicopter in July 2004.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Antonio Eretza-Flores was sentenced to 38 months after pleading guilty to aggravated assault on a federal agent and illegal re-entry after a deportation.

Authorities say Eretza-Flores was a passenger in a vehicle filled with illegal entrants on July 23, 2004, when a Huachuca City police officer realized the vehicle was stolen and tried to stop it. The vehicle fled and the officer chased it, but he ended up being forced off the road and into a ditch.

U.S. Border Patrol agents responded to help, and authorities say Eretza-Flores threw four rocks at one of their helicopters after he fled into the desert when the vehicle became disabled.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, one of the rocks went between the helicopter's main rotor blades and almost hit the door. The pilot had to make an emergency evasive maneuver.

In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins gave Eretza-Flores three years of supervised release.