An illegal immigrant has been arrested and charged for allegedly sexually assaulting two young girls in Michigan after breaking into their home. He is currently being held in jail with no bond after being deemed a flight risk.
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Miguel Hernandez-Ruiz, a Mexican national whose visa expired in 2021, had been living in the Sturgis area. He had initially come into the country on a work visa but remained after it expired.
He allegedly broke into a house in the Sweet Mobile Home Park and raped two girls under the age of 13.
Deputies located Hernandez-Ruiz and his vehicle through video surveillance at an undisclosed location, but when they were awaiting to take him into custody for questioning, he fled the area, the sheriff’s office reported.
They eventually traced him back to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where they set up a surveillance operation to ensure he cannot flee again.
According to St. Joseph County Undersheriff Jason Bingaman, their pursuit of Hernandez-Ruiz lasted 12 days.
The defendant was arraigned in court on Friday and is facing three charges related to the assault, which occurred on March 20. He is charged with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual assault and one count of first-degree home invasion.
St. Joseph County prosecutor David Marvin called Hernandez-Ruiz a danger to society and a flight risk.
“This is so serious that we’ve got to make sure we protect St. Joseph County, and honestly any county in the United States because we can’t afford to have this person leave,” Marvin said during Hernandez-Ruiz’s arraignment.
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St. Joseph County Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said during a press conference that the agency wants “for crime victims to see justice and to reassure our community that they’re safe and that they’re secure.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a detainer on Hernandez-Ruiz. This means that if the defendant is released, the agency will be alerted so they can take him into custody.
This development comes one month after a similar incident in Massachusetts when another illegal immigrant from Haiti raped a 15-year-old girl at one of the hotels being used to shelter illegal immigrants and asylum seekers.
A Haitian migrant was arrested for raping a 15-year-old girl at one of the hotels being used to shelter illegal immigrants and asylum seekers coming over the border. Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, chimed in on the situation, and her comment reflected a disturbing level of callousness about the story.
When asked by a reporter about the incident, Healey called it “unfortunate,” indicating that “from time to time, things will happen.”
The governor also indicated that what happened to the victim “is exactly why the federal government needs to act.”
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The border crisis has raised concerns about criminals crossing the southern border illegally because they know they would likely be turned away if they attempted to go through the legal process. However, in Hernandez-Ruiz’s case, he initially went through the proper channels before allegedly committing his crime, which further complicates the issue.
Nevertheless, this incident still highlights the worsening situation with the mass influx of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers migrating to the United States.