Fourth Illegal Alien Arrested on Rape Charges in Sanctuary County in Less Than One Month

Kevin Mendoza, 26, was captured on surveillance footage raping a woman inside her apartment building in Montgomery County, Maryland, according to court documents. (Montgomery County Police Department)

Four illegal aliens have been arrested on rape charges in Montgomery County, Maryland, in less than one month, casting a spotlight on the liberal county’s sanctuary policies.

Rodrigo Castro-Montejo, 25, of El Salvador, was arrested by police on Aug. 10 on charges of rape and sexual assault.

According to a police report obtained by WJLA, Castro-Montejo is accused of raping a female friend after a night of drinking. The woman was at the hospital when she texted the man, asking if he'd stopped short of sexual intercourse, and he replied that he had not.

“I’m sorry too for what happen [sic],” he wrote to her. “I’m sorry ... I hope this doesn’t ruin our friendships [sic].”

Despite the alleged rapist being an illegal immigrant, he was let go on $1,000 bail paid for by another woman until trial by Montgomery County District Court Judge Rand Gelber.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that it missed a call from Montgomery County about six hours before Castro-Montejo was let out of prison but ICE said the officer was traveling and that the county should have tried to contact other officers or call its 24-hour law enforcement support center before releasing the alien.

Two illegal immigrants were arrested in July for allegedly raping an 11-year-old girl.

Mauricio Barrera-Navidad, 29, and Carlos Palacios-Amaya, 28, both of El Salvador, were arrested after the girl told a social worker she was raped by the men, who were friends with her older brother. Police found video on Palacios-Amaya’s cellphone showing him raping the girl.

ICE said in mid-August that both men are in the country illegally.

In a statement obtained by Fox 5, the agency said that Palacios-Amaya was deported from the United States in 2014 but reentered the country at some point, and Barrera-Navidad was ordered deported in December 2016 but was never deported.

Mauricio Barrera-Navidad, 29 and Carlos Palacios-Amaya, 28, both illegal immigrants from El Salvador, raped an 11-year-old girl, the girl said. (Montgomery County Police Department)

Kevin Mendoza, 26, was arrested on Aug. 16 for allegedly raping, assaulting, and trying to murder a woman who he attacked as she entered her apartment building carrying a basket of laundry.

Mendoza grabbed the woman as she entered a door to the building, threw her to the floor, and started strangling her, according to court documents obtained by WJLA. She screamed but no one came to help and she was raped as the man allegedly said, “You know you like this.”

“Doctors advised that the severity of the strangulation could have easily resulted in the victim’s death,” police wrote in court documents.

Surveillance footage showed the entire rape and Mendoza was identified and arrested. He allegedly vowed to confess if he could talk to his family over the phone beforehand.

ICE later said Mendoza is an illegal immigrant from Honduras and Montgomery County District Court Judge Karen Ferretti ordered him held without bond.

Montgomery County introduced sanctuary policies in 2014, 2016 (pdf), and 2017 (pdf). Press releases from Montgomery County do not show the suspects’ immigration status.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said in an executive order (pdf) in July that county agencies are not allowed to ask people about their immigration status or, in some cases, help Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“It is especially important that all county residents feel safe contacting police and other county law enforcement officials without fear that such contact could lead to negative consequences for themselves or their family members,” he wrote. “Any perception that such contact could lead to negative immigration consequences for an individual or member of their family undermines that goal and erodes public safety.”

“Enforcing federal immigration law is the sole responsibility of the federal government of the United States and it is not in the interests of Montgomery County to utilize its limited community resources to facilitate enforcement of federal civil immigration laws,” he added.

Elrich said immigration detainers, which ICE places on people who officials believe are illegally in the country, are not something Montgomery County will be involved with unless there are accompanying judicial warrants.