Man Kidnaps 4-year-old from New York Laundromat is Arrested Again by ICE After Release

Federal immigration officials say a man accused of abducting a 4-year-old girl from a laundromat on Long Island was taken back into custody after initially being released into the community.

The Department of Homeland Security identified the suspect as 38-year-old Carlos Corte-Corte, a citizen of Ecuador, and described his immigration history as involving multiple prior removals from the United States.

In a statement, Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said, "This three-time deported criminal illegal alien, Carlos Corte-Corte, kidnapped an innocent four-year-old girl from a laundromat on Long Island," and added, "New York sanctuary politicians chose to release this kidnapper from jail to prey on more innocent children rather than cooperate with ICE law enforcement."

She further stated, "Sanctuary politicians must stop putting politics above public safety. This type of insanity leads to more crimes and more innocent victims. Thanks to our ICE law enforcement, this sicko is off our streets."

According to the Suffolk County Police Department, the incident occurred March 28th at Laundry Kingdom on East Main Street in Patchogue. Police said the child had been at the laundromat with her mother and another child when the suspect allegedly led her out a rear exit.

In a statement, police said, "Her mother reported her missing, and patrol officers responded to the scene, where they reviewed surveillance video and began canvassing the area. During the search, the mother located her daughter in the children’s play area of the Patchogue-Medford Library, located at 54-60 East Main St. A patrol officer then located Corte near the laundromat and took him into custody."

Authorities confirmed the child was found safely. Corte-Corte was charged with second-degree kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child. He also had an outstanding warrant at the time of his arrest.

Federal officials said that after the initial arrest he was released, which had prompted criticism from DHS. Immigration and Customs Enforcement later re-arrested him on March 31st and placed him into removal proceedings.

DHS stated that Corte-Corte had entered the United States illegally multiple times, noting, "He chose to commit a felony and illegally re-entered the U.S. a fourth time at an unknown place and time before attempting to kidnap the child."

The agency also pointed to broader concerns about cooperation between local jurisdictions and federal immigration authorities. DHS said ICE Director Todd Lyons had previously sent a letter to New York Attorney General Letitia James urging action regarding detainees, stating, "Her office did not respond."

Federal officials further claimed, "New York’s failure to honor ICE detainers" has resulted in thousands of individuals being released, adding, "The crimes of these aliens include 29 homicides, 2,509 assaults, 199 burglaries, 305 robberies, 392 dangerous drugs offenses, 300 weapons offenses, and 207 sexual predatory offenses."

DHS also stated that, "As of December 1st, 7,113 aliens in the custody of a New York jurisdiction have an active detainer. The crimes of these aliens include 148 homicides, 717 assaults, 134 burglaries, 106 robberies, 235 dangerous drugs offenses, 152 weapons offenses, and 260 sexual predatory offenses."

Man Kidnaps 4-year-old from New York Laundromat is Arrested Again by ICE After Release