34°
Walter Romero Saloj-Pecher was apprehended after being let back into the public following multiple incidents that were reported in Maryland.
According to officials, in late January 2013, Saloj-Pecher entered the country illegally in Texas, where he was apprehended and issued a notice to appear before a DOJ immigration judge, who ultimately released him in March 2013.
Months later, in August 2014, a second immigration judge in Baltimore ordered Saloj-Pecher be removed from the country and sent back to Guatemala, though he remained in the region for another decade.
Saloj-Pecher was arrested in Howard County in September 2023 in connection to a reported assault, and ERO lodged an immigration detainer while he was behind bars, though the Detention Center "refused to honor ERO's immigration detainer" and released Saloj-Pecher "on an unknown date."
ICE says that Saloj-Pecher's reign of terror continued, and in October 2023, the Montgomery County Department of Police filed a warrant for his arrest for robbery, second-degree assault, and theft of less than $100.
In December 2023, Saloj-Pecher was convicted of assault and he was sentenced to five years in prison, followed by a year of supervised probation; however the court then suspended four years and 364 days of the prison sentence.
Saloj-Pecher was arrested again by officers from ERO Baltimore's Fugitive Operations Team on Wednesday, Aug. 14 in Hyattsville, and he remains in custody.
“Walter Romeo Saloj-Pecher has not only displayed a disregard for US immigration laws," ERO Baltimore acting Field Office Director Matthew Elliston said. He has also assaulted a member of our Maryland community.
“Furthermore, he has been charged with another assault and robbery in a different county," he continued.
"This incident is particularly unfortunate in that one county’s refusal to cooperate with ERO apparently resulted in the suspect committing a subsequent crime in a neighboring county."
Want breaking news in the DMV as it happens, or want to contribute? Join the DMV All Incidents Facebook group.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Chevy Chase and receive free news updates.
