Newark ICE facility escapees charged with assault, burglary, and making terroristic threats.
Four individuals escaped from the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, on Thursday, prompting significant concern from law enforcement agencies. These men are being held on serious criminal charges, including aggravated assault, burglary, and making terroristic threats. In response to the escape, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have announced a reward of ,000 for information leading to their capture.
The escapee Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes, originally from Honduras, is facing multiple charges, such as aggravated assault, terroristic threats, and weapons possession for unlawful purposes. After allegedly entering the United States illegally in 2021, Bautista-Reyes was arrested for the first time in May in Wayne Township, New Jersey.
Another escapee, Joel Enrique Sandoval-Lopez, also from Honduras, had been apprehended previously for unlawful possession of a firearm in October and later arrested in February for aggravated assault. Sandoval-Lopez has been residing in the United States since 2019.
The other two fugitives, Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada and Andres Pineda-Mogollon, are believed to be illegal aliens from Colombia. Castaneda-Lozada faced multiple charges, including burglary and theft, following an arrest in Hammonton in May. Meanwhile, Pineda-Mogollon was detained for residential burglary and possession of burglary tools; he was previously charged with petit larceny in New York City in April.
Concerns surrounding the conditions at Delaney Hall have been raised by local officials, notably Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. The facility has come under scrutiny, with Baraka himself facing legal challenges concerning his protests against immigration enforcement at the site. Earlier this month, he filed a wrongful arrest and defamation lawsuit against U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, after previous charges against him were dismissed.
As law enforcement continues to seek the escapees, community members are encouraged to remain vigilant and report any information that could assist in apprehending these individuals. The incident has reinvigorated discussions on the broader implications of immigration detention policies and their enforcement in the region.
