The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced on Tuesday that one of the two remaining fugitives who escaped from a federal immigration detention center in New Jersey has been apprehended. Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes, hailing from Honduras, has been captured, according to FBI spokesperson Amy Thoreson. However, Andres Felipe Pineda-Mogollon, a Colombian national, is still at large following the escape that occurred on Thursday night.
Bautista-Reyes and Pineda-Mogollon, along with two other detainees, fled from Delaney Hall in Newark amid reported chaos within the facility by breaking through a wall and fleeing from the premises, as detailed by U.S. Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey and Homeland Security. All four men were in the United States illegally and faced various local charges in New Jersey and New York, federal authorities confirmed.
Bautista-Reyes was facing charges of aggravated assault, attempting to cause bodily harm, making terroristic threats, and possessing a weapon unlawfully. Meanwhile, Pineda-Mogollon stood accused of petty larceny and burglary-related offenses. Details regarding the capture of Bautista-Reyes remain sparse as inquiries for further information have been placed with both the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin thanked law enforcement for their swift action in apprehending the escapees. The FBI had previously increased the reward for information leading to their arrests to $25,000 from the initial $10,000.
On Friday, Joel Enrique Sandoval-Lopez, another escapee, was taken into custody in Passaic, New Jersey, just a day following the Newark escape. Subsequently, Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada surrendered to federal authorities on Sunday in Millville, New Jersey. Sandoval-Lopez, a Honduran native, was charged with illegal handgun possession and aggravated assault, while Castaneda-Lozada from Colombia faced burglary, theft, and conspiracy charges.
It remains unspecified who is legally representing the detainees, as the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender opted not to comment on the matter. Newark’s Mayor Ras Baraka, noted for his criticism of former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, pointed to possible disturbances and protests at the facility on the night of the escape, which later led to arm-linked protestors pushing against barricades as vehicles moved in and out. Despite ongoing investigations and reports, the FBI formally charged the escapees with the crime of escape.
The fugitives reportedly breached an aluminum wall on the facility’s second floor, using mattresses placed through an opening to buffer their jump. They maneuvered past barbed wire by covering it with bedsheets to climb over the fence, according to the FBI. The GEO Group, responsible for managing the detention center for the federal government, stated last week that there was no significant unrest within the facility.
This incident is just one of several bouts this year between Democratic officials advocating for more oversight at Delaney Hall and the federal administration. Notably, Mayor Baraka was previously arrested and charged with trespassing—though charges were eventually dismissed—following his involvement in protests outside the center. Moreover, U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver faced accusations of assaulting federal officers during an altercation at the facility, a charge she staunchly denies.