Fugitive From New Jersey Immigration Detention Center Captured
The FBI announced on Tuesday that one of the two detainees who escaped from a New Jersey federal immigration center has been apprehended. Franklin Norbert Bautista Reyes, originally from Honduras, is now in custody, while Colombian national Andres Felipe Pineda Mogoron remains missing after their escape last Thursday night.
New Jersey Democrat Sen. Andy Kim, along with Homeland Security officials, reported that Bautista Reyes, Pineda Mogoron, and two other men broke out of the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark. They managed to escape by smashing through a wall and exiting the parking lot.
All four individuals were reportedly in the country illegally and had been charged by local law enforcement in New Jersey and New York City. Bautista Reyes has faced additional charges, including severe assault and making terrorist threats. Meanwhile, Pineda Mogoron has been charged with minor theft and robbery offenses.
The exact circumstances surrounding Bautista Reyes’s capture are still unclear. Authorities have reached out to both the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security for further details. Tricia McLaughlin from Homeland Security expressed gratitude for the law enforcement efforts that led to the arrest.
In a recent move, the FBI raised its reward for information leading to further arrests from $10,000 to $25,000. One of the other escapees, Joel Enrique Sandoval Lopez, was captured in Passaic, New Jersey, the day after the breakout. Joan Sebastian Castaneda Rozada turned himself in to federal authorities in Millville, New Jersey, two days later. Sandoval Lopez, also from Honduras, has been charged with illegal handgun possession and aggravated assault, while Castaneda Rozada faces charges related to robbery, theft, and conspiracy.
Currently, it is unclear who is representing Bautista Reyes in this case, as the New Jersey Public Defense Office has not commented on the situation.
Notably, Newark’s Mayor Ras Baraka, who has criticized President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, was involved in a confrontation with protesters outside the detention center during the incident. Details about the events at the facility are still emerging, but the FBI indicated that the four men escaped by breaking through an aluminum wall on the second floor, using mattresses and bed sheets to navigate the barbed wire and climb over the fence.
The Geo Group, which operates the detention facility, stated that there are “no broader concerns” regarding security. The facility has become a point of contention this year between local officials advocating for improved surveillance and the facility’s management.
