WASHINGTON BOROUGH, N.J. — An illegal alien who was reportedly released from federal immigration custody during the Biden administration is now accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 6-year-old New Jersey girl.
Lester Noe Perez-Amador, 27, a Guatemalan national, was arrested after the child disappeared from her Washington Borough home shortly before 3 a.m. over Labor Day weekend, according to authorities.
Police located the girl within approximately an hour as she was returning home on foot. She was subsequently taken to a hospital for treatment.
Investigators allege Perez-Amador, who was known to the child, broke into the residence and kidnapped her before sexually assaulting her. He was initially charged with home invasion, burglary and kidnapping.
Warren County Prosecutor Jessica Cardone announced Tuesday that Perez-Amador now faces two counts of aggravated sexual assault in addition to a single count of endangering the welfare of a child.
“Protecting our children is a responsibility we take very seriously, and our commitment does not end with an arrest,” Cardone said.
The case also carries a significant immigration enforcement angle.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed for Fox News that Perez-Amador is in the United States illegally and that ICE has lodged an immigration detainer against him.
According to DHS, Perez-Amador had previously been arrested in a DUI case and taken into ICE custody in March 2024 for removal proceedings. The agency says the Biden administration subsequently released him back into the community.
“We are urging Washington Township authorities to transfer Perez-Amador into ICE custody so we can do what Biden failed to do the first time — get this criminal illegal alien off of our streets and back to Guatemala where he belongs,” DHS told Fox News.
Perez-Amador remains jailed in Warren County pending further court proceedings.
“A 6-year-old girl was kidnapped from her home and sexually assaulted by an illegal immigrant in New Jersey. He had already been in ICE custody in 2024 and was RELEASED back into our communities. She deserved to be protected,” lamented Congressman Jeff Van Drew (R, NJ-02) on X.
