A Mexican illegal immigrant whose visa expired in 2021 is now charged with the sexual assault of two young girls in Michigan after allegedly breaking into their mobile home, authorities say.
Miguel Hernandez-Ruiz was arraigned Friday on one count of home invasion and two counts of first-degree criminal sexual assault against a person under the age of 13. Officials said he is in jail with no bond and has an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer placed on him.
Ruiz is a Mexican national living in Sturgis, and came to the U.S. on a temporary work visa, officials told reporters at a press conference. But that visa expired in December 2021, and he remained in the U.S. illegally after that time.
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He was arraigned in court on Friday and his next court date is set for April 30. During that arraignment, officials warned he was 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," prosecutor David Marvin said during Hernandez-Ruiz's arraignment, according to WWMT.
Law enforcement were dispatched to the Sweet Lake Mobile Home Park on March 20 for the report of a home invasion. Deputies subsequently found that two girls under the age of 13 had been sexually assaulted.
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Surveillance footage showed a vehicle that was eventually located, but the suspect fled the area prior to being taken into custody. He ultimately fled the state. The sheriff’s office said they tracked him to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he was eventually caught.
"Thanks to the meticulous planning, execution, and collaboration between multiple law enforcement partners, a dangerous predator is in custody," Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said in a statement.
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An immigration detainer is lodged by ICE on a suspect who they believe is deportable. It is a request that, on the suspect's release, ICE is alerted so they can take them into custody.
