Breaking: Authorities Capture 1 of 2 Missing Detainees from New Jersey Immigration Facility!
One of the two individuals still at large following their escape from a New Jersey ICE detention center has been apprehended, according to the FBI. Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes, a Honduran national, was captured, while Andres Felipe Pineda-Mogollon, from Colombia, remains missing since Thursday night’s breakout.
Bautista-Reyes was detained and later charged with multiple offenses, including aggravated assault, weapons crimes, and terroristic threats. Pineda-Mogollon faces charges of burglary and minor theft, but his whereabouts are still unknown.
The escape occurred at Delaney Hall in Newark, where four men forcibly broke through a section of the wall and fled through a parking lot. The incident followed reports of unrest inside the facility, with authorities describing the men using bedsheets to climb over fences and dropping mattresses to facilitate their jump.
The four men involved were in the country illegally and faced various charges from local authorities. The FBI increased the reward for their capture to $25,000.
On Friday, accomplice Joel Enrique Sandoval-Lopez was detained in nearby Passaic, and on Sunday, Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada surrendered himself after being charged with multiple theft crimes. Sandoval-Lopez had previous charges for weapons and assault, while Castaneda-Lozada faced conspiracy and burglary.
The situation inside the detention facility has been contentious, with protests and clashes involving local officials criticizing oversight and safety concerns. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, while critical of immigration enforcement strategies, acknowledged the unrest following the escape and protests.
According to the FBI, the escape involved breaking an aluminum wall, dropping mattresses, and climbing barbed wire fences using bedsheets. GEO Group, the facility’s operator, denied reports of widespread unrest.
It remains unclear who is representing the escapees, as legal representatives have not commented. The incident has sparked ongoing protests and political debates around detention policies in the region.