Authorities in Massachusetts allegedly released an illegal migrant charged with raping a local child from custody even after they received a federal request to keep the suspect detained, according to a report.
Police initially arrested Maynor Francisco Hernandez-Rodas, a 38-year-old immigrant from Guatemala, on June 14 after he was accused of raping a minor in Lowell, Massachusetts. He pleaded not guilty to aggravated rape of a child with force and rape of a child by force.
Two weeks into Hernandez-Rodas' arrest, officers for the ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) said it filed an immigration detainer with Middlesex Superior Court to keep the immigrant detained and hand over custody to them. However, the court allegedly ignored the federal request and released Hernandez-Rodas after he posted a bail of $10,000, immigration officials noted in a press release.
Court Released Illegal Migrant Charged with Raping Minor
Immigration officials did not specify any reason on why the federal request was ignored. A spokesperson for the Middlesex Superior Court also did not elaborate on why the detainer was ignored, as reported by the New York Post.
The ICE files an immigration detainer for state or local law enforcement to hold an individual for up to 48 hours beyond their scheduled release time. The detainer allows ICE officials to take custody or arrange the transfer of potentially deportable individuals into federal immigration custody.
Immigration officials did not detail who Hernandez-Rodas targeted in the rape incident. It was also unclear when and where the incident happened.
However, authorities noted that the 38-year-old immigrant has been in the US for more than a decade. He was able to enter the country after evading authorities at the border. That said, officials noted they have yet to determine when or where exactly he entered the country.
Hernandez-Rodas' Previous Charges
Prior to the recent rape incident, Hernandez-Rodas had already been charged with breaching the peace in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 2011. He was sentenced to six months in prison.
The 38-year-old was convicted again in 2016 for the same offense. That crime happened in Norwalk, Connecticut. However, he was only fined $100 for that charge.
