(The Center Square) – After a month-long manhunt, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have captured all four criminals who escaped the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, New Jersey. They are all men in the country illegally, citizens of Colombia and Honduras with extensive criminal histories.
After escaping on June 12, one was arrested in California, two were arrested in New Jersey, one turned himself in to authorities in New Jersey.
Delaney Hall, a privately owned detention center in Newark, is contracted with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house dangerous criminals, including the four fugitives who escaped last month. Their criminal histories include aggravated assault, terroristic threats, burglary, threatening to kill law enforcement officers, among other charges, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey.
The facility was also the scene where three Democratic members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation attempted to enter on May 9 while a protest ensued outside that turned violent. Last month, U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver was charged in a three-count indictment for forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers as the riot escalated while she and others demanded entry. She denies the charges and says they are politically motivated. If convicted on all three counts, she faces a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison.
One month after the riot and altercation with authorities, four detainees escaped the facility “by breaking through an aluminum second-story wall, dropping mattresses through the opening in the wall to provide a landing place on which to jump, and utilizing bed sheets to cover barbed wire in order to climb over the fence,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
All four have been arrested, including the final fugitive who remained at large, Honduran national Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes. He illegally entered the U.S. in 2021 under the Biden administration, according to DHS records. On May 3, Wayne Township, New Jersey, police officers arrested him on charges of aggravated assault, attempting to cause bodily injury, making terroristic threats, and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes.
On July 17, the third escapee was arrested by ICE-Enforcement Removal Officers-Los Angeles: Colombian national, Andres Pineda-Mogollon. He entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2023 under the Biden administration but failed to follow the terms of his admittance and overstayed his visa. After two years of illegally living in the U.S., he was arrested in April by New York City Police officers for petit larceny. In May, he was arrested by police officers in Union, New Jersey, for residential burglary, conspiracy residential burglary, and possession of burglary tools.
On June 13, the second escapee, Honduran national Joel Enrique Sandoval-Lopez, was arrested in a joint operation conducted by ICE officers, the FBI and police officers in Passaic, New Jersey. While being arrested, he kicked and threatened to kill the law enforcement officers making the arrest, DHS said. His criminal history includes unlawful possession of a handgun and aggravated assault.
On June 15, the first fugitive was detained after he turned himself in – twice.
On June 13, Colombian national Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada attempted to turn himself requesting to be taken into custody at the New Jersey State Police Bridgeton Station. Because state police refuse to cooperate with ICE, they denied his request despite his criminal history that includes arrests for burglary, theft, and conspiracy to commit burglary.
Two days later, on June 15, Castaneda-Lozada again surrendered himself, this time to federal authorities, the FBI and ICE, in Milleville, New Jersey. They took him into custody.
All four men remain in custody pending state and federal charges.
The altercation with ICE officers in May occurred as attacks against ICE officers have escalated over the last six months as they carry out targeted enforcement and removal operations of some of the most violent criminals in the U.S. nationwide. Recent armed violence includes ICE officers being shot in California, Texas and New York while performing their duties or being off-duty.
Assaults against ICE officers are now up by 830%, DHS says, The Center Square reported.
