NEW JERSEY - A 27-year-old man previously arrested for the kidnapping of a six-year-old child in New Jersey is now facing additional sexual assault charges following further investigation.
What we know:
Lester Noe Perez-Amador has additionally been charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and one count of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
Authorities say that new evidence supports allegations that Perez-Amador sexually assaulted the child after abducting her from her home.
Child kidnapped from NJ home
The backstory:
Police responding to a report of a missing six-year-old early Saturday morning in Washington Borough quickly determined that the child had been taken from her home.
About an hour later, police located the child as she was returning home on foot. She was immediately transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Within 24 hours of the abduction, law enforcement arrested Perez-Amador, who authorities noted was known to the victim. He was initially charged with first-degree home invasion burglary and first-degree kidnapping.
Illegal immigrant
Dig deeper:
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to FOX News that Perez-Amador was living in the U.S. illegally, arrested in a DUI case and taken into ICE custody to face deportation in March 2024.
"The Biden administration then released him back into the community despite being a criminal illegal alien with no right to remain in our country," a DHS spokesperson told FOX.
The agency has now reportedly lodged a detainer against Perez-Amador.
What's next:
Perez-Amador is currently lodged at the Warren County Correctional Center in Belvidere. A judge is expected to hear the State’s motion for pretrial detention next week.
If convicted, the first-degree aggravated sexual assault charges carry a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in New Jersey State Prison. First-degree kidnapping carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with 25 years of parole ineligibility, while first-degree home invasion burglary carries up to 20 years.
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from press releases from the Washington Township Police Department and a report by FOX News.