The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has rearrested an undocumented immigrant accused of kidnapping a 4-year-old girl from a Long Island laundromat last month after a local judge released him back into the community.
Carlos Corte-Corte, an Ecuadorian national, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on March 31 and placed in removal proceedings, DHS announced Monday.
Corte-Corte, 38, allegedly led the young girl out through the back of Laundry Kingdom in Patchogue on March 28 while her mother was present, according to Suffolk County Police. Authorities later located the child at a nearby library.
He was charged with second-degree kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a child, and an outstanding warrant. However, a local judge released him the following day under supervised conditions.
DHS criticized the release, stating that after his initial arrest, “sanctuary politicians released him from jail back into the community.”
According to DHS, Corte-Corte had previously entered the United States illegally at least three times in 2020 and was deported each time.
He allegedly re-entered the country a fourth time at an unknown location and date before the reported incident.
“This three-time deported criminal illegal alien, Carlos Corte-Corte, kidnapped an innocent four-year-old girl from a laundromat on Long Island. New York sanctuary politicians chose to release this kidnapper from jail rather than cooperate with ICE law enforcement,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said.
“Sanctuary politicians must stop putting politics above public safety,” she added. “This type of situation leads to more crimes and more innocent victims. Thanks to ICE law enforcement, this individual is now off the streets.”
Corte-Corte had been placed on supervised release with a GPS monitor after being freed without bail by Suffolk County District Judge James F. Leonick.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney expressed disagreement with the decision to release him.
“I think if you look at the facts of the case, clearly they’re concerning,” Tierney said.
Corte-Corte’s public defender argued that the incident may have resulted from a misunderstanding.
“He believed the child was alone without parents,” Suffolk County Legal Aid attorney Alexandra Dyroff told the court.
“He took her to the library and informed an employee, but there was a language barrier. It appears to have been a mistake,” the defense attorney claimed.
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