That will leave a mark.
A mother who scaled the U.S.-Mexico border fence near the San Ysidro Port of Entry Friday night fell and was impaled by pieces of rebar, Border Patrol said Saturday.
The 26-year-old Guatemalan woman was with her two children, ages 3 and 5, when she crossed illegally, said Border Patrol Agent Tekae Michael. She told agents she was not part of the massive migrant caravan camped out in Tijuana, Michael said.
The mother climbed the fence east of the port of entry, where construction crews have been working to replace decades-old primary fencing with a new barrier. When she fell, pieces of rebar pierced her side and buttocks.
Border Patrol arrived to render medical aid about 8:25 p.m. and requested assistance from the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. She was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Her children were also evaluated at the hospital for potential fall trauma and, showing no injuries, were released back to Border Patrol custody.
“Entering our country illegally, particularly over our walls is not only dangerous, but also very foolish,” San Diego’s Chief Border Patrol Agent Rodney Scott said Saturday. “This woman placed her own life and her children’s lives in peril. She could have easily died if not for the quick response by our agents and EMS.”