A sixth illegal immigrant was arrested in Montgomery County, Maryland, this month for sex crimes; this time, a Salvadoran national accused of molesting a 12-year-old girl and her younger brother.
Nestor Lopez-Guzman, 21, was arrested by Montgomery County Police on Aug. 18. A friend of the 12-year-old victim told a school counselor that her friend had been molested by Lopez-Guzman, according to the police report. The victim then confirmed that the abuse had been occurring over the past six months. Lopez-Guzman also confessed to touching the “private parts” of the victim’s brother, but insisted it was a cultural joke in El Salvador used to make fun of men.
NEW: Nestor Lopez-Guzman molested a 12yo girl + her younger brother, cops say.
Per ICE, the 21yo is a Salvadoran national living in the U.S. illegally.
This is at least the sixth undocumented immigrant arrested in Montgomery County, Md. on rape/sex abuse charges since July 25. pic.twitter.com/KSmT05qajU
— Kevin Lewis (@ABC7Kevin) August 29, 2019
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a detainer against Lopez-Guzman after his arrest and took him into custody on Aug. 20. He was then released after posting immigration bond on Aug. 21 and is awaiting trial for his alleged crimes.
MORE: According to detectives, Lopez-Guzman confessed to touching the elementary school-age boy’s genitals, claiming it was a “cultural joke” that’s “common in El Salvador.”
Lopez-Guzman said it’s a way for men to poke fun at one another.
The 21yo is out on bond awaiting trial. pic.twitter.com/Xvg4l0dkCK
— Kevin Lewis (@ABC7Kevin) August 29, 2019
Five other illegal immigrants have been arrested in Montgomery County, Maryland, since July 25 on sex crime-related charges. On Aug. 14, for example, ICE issued a detainer against Salvadoran national Nelson Reyes-Medrano, who is accused of raping a 16-year-old girl at knifepoint. In another case in the last month, two illegal immigrants were charged with repeatedly raping an 11-year-old. (RELATED: Just 20 Miles From White House, Illegal Immigrant Rape Cases Keep Piling Up)
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich recently signed an executive order that prevents ICE from entering jails to detain illegal immigrants and allows very limited cooperation between county police and immigration enforcers. Under the order, police cannot hold an illegal immigrant beyond their normal release date, even if ICE has issued a detainer asking for an additional 48 hours to take custody of the individual.
Elrich claims his order protects due process for illegal immigrants by refusing detainer requests without a judge’s signature, but immigration experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation that under the Immigration and Nationality Act, ICE does not need a judge’s signature to issue an administrative warrant.
“The public has been misled to believe that certain judges have the authority to sign a warrant for civil immigration violations — but no such judicial authority exists,” ICE said in a statement. “This idea is a myth created by those who either oppose immigration enforcement efforts, are misinformed, or who do not understand how the immigration system works.”