A 21-year-old man from Nicaragua has been issued an arrest warrant by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in connection with a serious crime involving the assault and rape of a 54-year-old woman in Chicago, according to a statement released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
On one August evening, Jefferson Arauz-Medina allegedly pulled a woman by her hair as she walked down the street, dragged her into an alley, and assaulted her violently. Reportedly, he threw her to the ground, removed her clothing, and repeatedly struck her head against the pavement, leading to her loss of consciousness, as per DHS reports.
When the woman regained consciousness, she fought back, but Arauz-Medina continued with the assault until a passing driver startled him, causing him to flee. The victim, in distress, ran down the street calling for help and was eventually assisted by workers at a nearby food truck, DHS noted.
The victim’s cries for help were captured on a neighbor’s surveillance camera.
Afterward, police apprehended Arauz-Medina. DHS indicated that he had entered the U.S. through Eagle Pass, Texas, in September 2024 and had been “released into this country by the Biden administration.”
An immigration judge had ordered his removal in July, but it seems he has requested that local authorities inform ICE before his release. However, given that Chicago is a sanctuary city, it doesn’t frequently comply with ICE detainer requests.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin expressed outrage, stating, “This is a real-life nightmare. This criminal that J.B. Pritzker continues to protect violently attacked an innocent woman walking the streets of Chicago… We will do everything in our power to ensure this evil criminal never walks our streets again.”
At the time of this report, the government shutdown had reached its 24th day, yet law enforcement, including ICE, continued efforts to apprehend violent criminals, as highlighted by the DHS.
