Colombian national with ICE detainer and warrants in two states charged with first-degree rape of 14-year-old boy
A transgender migrant from Colombia appeared in court yesterday after being charged with raping a 14-year-old boy in a public bathroom at an East Harlem park.
Nicol Suarez, 30, allegedly followed the victim into a bathroom at Thomas Jefferson Park on Tuesday at around midday before attacking him, according to police sources who spoke to the New York Post.
The boy fled the bathroom and flagged down passersby who called police, leading to Suarez’s arrest the following day on charges of first-degree rape and stalking.
Suarez appeared at Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday wearing head-to-toe beige prison garb and heavy makeup, scowling as officers led her into the courtroom.
The defendant, who required an interpreter for the proceedings, spent the entire day in Department of Corrections custody after the building was placed on lockdown for unknown reasons.
Judge Michele Rodney set a pre-trial hearing date for mid-September after Suarez’s lawyer requested more time to file motions, a request the judge declined.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had placed a detainer on Suarez, who was also wanted on warrants in New Jersey and Massachusetts, though the nature of those charges remains unclear.
A law enforcement source blamed New York City’s sanctuary laws for the attack, telling the New York Post: “ICE could just pick this person up and deport them back, but due to our sanctuary laws we can’t do anything.
“I feel really bad for the kid that has to go through this because his life will never be the same,” the source added. “We worry about the migrants but what about the victim? This is a true victim.”
The attack has reignited debate over New York’s sanctuary city policies, which limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
Under current laws, the city only honours ICE detainer requests when accompanied by a judicial warrant – a policy that has resulted in just a handful of the 6,025 detainers issued since January being honoured.
Azid Haime, who owns a deli near the park, expressed horror at the incident. “All my body is shaking; I want to sit. I can’t explain how I feel. I’m more than angry,” he said, noting that many young children from the area visit his shop.
“Oh my God, that is disgusting. He destroyed that little boy’s life,” Haime told reporters.
Prosecutors initially requested £391,000 ($500,000) bail and a £1.17 million ($1.5 million) bond, but Democratic Judge Elizabeth Shamahs lowered the amounts to £78,000 ($100,000) bail or £195,000 ($250,000) bond.
The Blaze reported that Department of Homeland Security sources revealed Suarez had previously been accused of armed robbery, sexual conduct for a fee, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Suarez is currently being housed at Rikers Island, the large jail complex located on a 413-acre island between the Bronx and Queens in the East River.
First-degree rape is a Class B felony in New York, carrying a minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum of 25 years. It is classified as a violent felony requiring registration as a sex offender.
Stalking in the first degree is a Class D felony with a maximum sentence of seven years in prison and a mandatory minimum of two years for those without prior felony convictions.
The case comes amid escalating tensions over immigration enforcement in New York City. ICE detainers in the city have increased by more than 400 per cent since President Trump took office, with 6,025 issued compared to 9,472 during the entire Biden administration.
Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticised the city’s sanctuary policies, stating: “When sanctuary politicians like Mayor Eric Adams ignore ICE detainers, they are protecting criminal illegal aliens at the expense of American citizens.”
These are barbaric criminals with prior convictions for rape, murder, drug trafficking, and instead of holding them for ICE, sanctuary politicians release them back into your communities,” McLaughlin added.
New York’s sanctuary laws, which date back to 1989, were significantly expanded in 2014 under then-Mayor Bill de Blasio. The policies bar city officials from sharing immigration information except in criminal matters and removed ICE’s office from Rikers Island.
The city maintains that sanctuary policies make communities safer by encouraging immigrants to report crimes and cooperate with police without fear of deportation. Studies have shown that sanctuary cities experience 35.5 fewer crimes per 10,000 people compared to non-sanctuary jurisdictions.
However, federal officials argue these policies allow dangerous criminals to escape immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security reports that assaults on ICE agents have increased by 830 per cent since Trump took office, which they attribute to anti-ICE rhetoric and sanctuary policies.
The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against New York City over its sanctuary policies, arguing they amount to “intentional sabotage of federal immigration enforcement” and are unconstitutional.
Between June 2023 and July 2024, the Department of Correction honoured only 4 per cent of ICE’s detainer requests, according to the legal filing.
The debate over sanctuary cities has intensified following several high-profile crimes involving migrants, including the recent shooting of an off-duty border patrol officer in Manhattan by two men federal officials say entered the country illegally.
As Suarez awaits trial at Rikers Island, the case continues to fuel debate over the balance between public safety and immigrant protections in America’s largest sanctuary city.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
