By 
Story by TIM SULLIVAN
The Starr County Sheriff’s Office is confirming it is conducting a criminal investigation into the deadly military helicopter crash near La Grulla last month. Channel 5 News reports that word of the criminal investigation was revealed after ABC News requested crash documents from Starr County under the Texas Public Information Act.
In an email to ABC News, Starr County sheriff’s Major Carlos Delgado wrote that although the Defense Department is in charge of the overall safety investigation, the sheriff’s office is conducting an independent investigation to determine whether any criminal activity may have occurred.
The UH-72 Lakota slammed into a field near La Grulla March 8th as the chopper was tracking a group of people who had illegally crossed the border. The pilot and a crewmember, both New York National Guard members, were killed, as was Border Patrol Agent Christopher Luna of Edinburg. A third New York Guard soldier, Jacob Pratt, suffered major injuries and is undergoing rehabilitation in San Antonio.
