An illegal Ecuadorean immigrant, who had been previously arrested and jailed twice for molesting a child, has been apprehended by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Hartford, Connecticut. The individual, whose identity has not been disclosed by federal authorities, was taken into custody last week, more than four years after his initial arrest on charges of assault with risk to a child.
According to a press release issued by ICE on Wednesday, this convicted sex offender posed a significant threat to the children in Connecticut communities. Todd Lyons, the director of the Boston field office for US Enforcement and Removal Operations, expressed his concern over the individual’s release, stating that he should never have been allowed back on the streets. Lyons commended the hard work of the Hartford officers in removing the offender from the community, ensuring the safety of residents.
The Ecuadorean national entered the United States illegally by crossing the border with Mexico and into Texas in May 2015. However, he was released by an immigration judge just three months later, as confirmed by ICE officials. On March 13, 2020, he was arrested in Danbury on charges related to child sex assault. Three days after his arrest, the Boston office of US Enforcement and Removal Operations lodged an immigration detainer to gain custody of the migrant.
The individual was convicted of the child sex charges on April 13, 2021, and initially sentenced to five years in prison on January 13, 2022. However, the sentence was subsequently reduced to five years of probation. Unfortunately, ICE was not notified of the reduced sentence, and the offender went missing. He was arrested again in Danbury on May 6, 2023, on charges of assault and probation violation. Once more, he was convicted and sentenced to one year in prison, which was again reduced to probation. Connecticut officials allegedly ignored an ICE detainer and released him.
Finally, federal immigration agents from the Boston ERO office apprehended the individual in Hartford last week. He is currently awaiting a custody hearing before a Department of Justice immigration judge. It is worth noting that Hartford is one of several Connecticut cities that have declared themselves “sanctuary cities,” choosing not to fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities in holding or detaining migrants who have committed offenses.
