Tucson Region

Timeline of events

Sept. 20, 2004: Noé and Moises Lopez leave Oaxaca with their aunt. Sept. 23: The boys arrive in Altar, Sonora, by way of Hermosillo. Sept. 24: They cross illegally into the United States. Sept. 27: The boys are captured by the U.S. Border Patrol. That day, they're taken to the Center for Repatriated Minors in Nogales, Sonora. Oct. 13: They run away from the center. Oct. 16: The boys are separated by their smuggler. Noé crosses into the United States and is driven up Interstate 19 to a Tucson drop house. Moises stays behind to try again to get smuggled into the United States. Oct. 16

9 p.m. - Moises tries to cross into the United States over the high border wall in Nogales and is arrested by Border Patrol agents. Oct. 17

11 a.m. - Moises is returned to the Center for Repatriated Minors in Nogales, Sonora. 2:30 p.m. - Moises runs away from the center to meet his smuggler. 4 p.m. - He's arrested again at the Nogales wall by police operativos as a smuggler is trying to boost him over the top. The smuggler is told to come up with $600 for the boy's release. Moises is interrogated at police headquarters and is accused of being a smuggler. 6 p.m. - The officer takes the boy to his own house after it becomes obvious the smuggler isn't coming with the $600. 6:30 p.m. - The officer telephones Reyna, lying and telling her he is an immigration agent. He tells her it will cost $130 to release Moises. Oct. 18

noon - The officer calls Reyna again, this time giving her directions to send the money to a Nogales wire transfer store. Oct. 18: Noé is moved to Phoenix where he meets the smuggler his mother hired to get him to North Carolina. Oct. 19: The boy is moved to Las Vegas in a rental car. Oct. 20

9 a.m. - Reyna calls the smuggler in Phoenix who is supposed to bring Moises and tells him of the kidnapping. The man tells her not to tell anyone and just pay the money. Oct. 21

11:30 a.m. - Reyna wires the money to the kidnapper, who releases Moises. 1 p.m. - A street hustler spots Moises and guides him back to the Hotel San Andres, where the boy again meets up with his smuggler. Oct. 22

midnight - Moises is boosted over the border wall and meets his next guide in Nogales, Ariz. Oct. 26: Noé, using the smuggler's own son's name, boards a Southwest Airlines flight at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. He lands that night in North Carolina and reunites with his mother.