An undocumented immigrant arrested last week on rape charges in Virginia, who has a long rap sheet that includes nearly 30 run-ins with police for sex crimes and assaults, said he was repeatedly slapped on the wrist instead of being kicked out of the country. The paper reported. I learned.
Denis Humberto Navarrete Romero, 31, has been a menace since 2017, ranging from small-scale drug offenses to crimes including lewdness, public nudity, masturbation and sexual assault. Police officials said he had 29 encounters with police leading up to the alarming development of the crime. .
The Honduran immigrant was arrested last week on suspicion of raping a woman on a hiking trail outside Washington, D.C. — just four days after being released on indecent assault charges. In this case, he was released early after completing half of his 50-day sentence for “good behavior,” authorities said.
During their first contact with law enforcement in 2017, they reported that 14-year-old Navarrette Romero had fondled her and exposed herself to her nieces, who were 10 and 13 at the time, but the family refused to press charges and told authorities. I resisted. '', the police report said.
In 2022, he repeatedly committed perverted acts on and around the National Mall in Washington, including telling police officers that he wanted to die in “suicide by cop,” entering the restricted area of the White House, and immersing himself in a fountain. Ta. Officials say it is at the National Museum of American Indian History.
In June of that year, he punched a woman in the back at a restaurant, then choked an officer and tried to punch another officer in the face, records show. He spent eight days in jail and over the next month committed a series of assaults, including simple assault, trespassing, smoking marijuana and drinking in public.
He served another six months in prison until January 2023, and was rearrested a few months later in June for allegedly drunkenly urinating at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., records show.
He allegedly went on to commit more indecent acts and assaults until he was finally charged with rape and kidnapping on November 14. It was just four days after he was released early from prison, having served half of a 50-day sentence for exposure. To a woman walking her dog.
An attorney for the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office told the Post that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is notified every time an illegal immigrant is booked into adult detention (four times in Navarrette-Romero's case). , but said they had not been notified of any warrants or detainees from authorities. It was never published.
When contacted by the Post, ICE would not confirm or deny the sheriff's office's account or say whether it was aware of Navarrette-Romero's illegal position.
Now, Virginia officials like Gov. Glenn Youngkin are warning that ultra-liberal Fairfax County is tolerant of immigration crimes and will cooperate with immigration authorities even against dangerous repeat offenders under the “law.” He blames them for refusing to do so.trust policy”, effectively making this county a sanctuary county.
Youngkin (R-Va.) said the county is making law-abiding residents less safe.
“My heart hurts for these victims and I am outraged that local Fairfax County authorities recklessly released a violent illegal immigrant who should have been prosecuted and deported,” the Republican governor said. told the Post Sunday.
“This is a dereliction of our most basic duty to keep people safe. It is unacceptable to prioritize violent illegal immigrants over the safety of Fairfax residents.”
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares criticized Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano.
“Steve Descano owes the community an apology and an obligation to resign for his repeated missteps and failures,” Miyares told the Post.
Descano prosecuted the case of Navarrette Romero, who was charged in 2022 with assaulting a Herndon police officer. Descano admitted the charge to misdemeanor assault without any input from Herndon police.
“This was a violent act of rape that was completely preventable. Shame on those who chose opportunism and politics over public safety and integrity. Prosecutors, not the group of social workers they cover, have the right to protect their interests,” Miyares added.
Laura Birnbaum, Descano's spokeswoman, said in a post that she supports Descano's response to the Navarrette-Romero case, saying, “He was indicted, convicted and served time in prison for a crime that reflects the facts of the case.” told the paper.
A spokesperson for ICE's D.C. Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations said the agency interviewed the suspected rapist and took him into custody more than a week after the crime occurred.
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Operation Deportation, has interviewed Dennis Humberto Navarrete Romero, 31, an illegally present Honduran national,” the agency announced Tuesday.
“On the same day, ICE ERO filed an immigration detainer at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center in Fairfax, Virginia. entered the country,” the statement concluded.
Navarrette Romero is being held in the Fairfax County Jail awaiting a March 5 hearing. His attorney, Thomas F. Kellner, declined the Post's request for comment.
Additional reporting by Jennie Taer
