A 27-year-old man is facing additional charges in connection with the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 6-year-old girl in Washington Borough over Labor Day weekend, Warren County Prosecutor Jessica L. Cardone announced Tuesday.
Lester Noe Perez-Amador was already in custody on charges including home invasion, burglary and kidnapping when investigators say they uncovered additional evidence tying him to a sexual assault of the child. He now faces two counts of aggravated sexual assault and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.
According to Washington Township Police, the girl was reported missing from her home just before 3 a.m. on Saturday of Labor Day weekend. Officers found her within the hour “as she was returning home on foot,” police said. She was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Investigators say Perez-Amador is known to the child victim. He was arrested the day after the girl was found.
Under New Jersey law, first-degree kidnapping carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with 25 years of parole ineligibility, according to police.
Prosecutor’s statement
Cardone said her office will pursue the case aggressively.
“Protecting our children is a responsibility we take very seriously, and our commitment does not end with an arrest. The Warren County Prosecutor’s Office will now proceed with this prosecution and continue our pursuit of justice,” Cardone said.
Immigration status and federal detainer
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Fox News Digital that the agency has lodged a detainer against Perez-Amador following his arrest. DHS said he was living in the country illegally but could not confirm when or where he entered the United States.
DHS said Perez-Amador had previously been arrested in a DUI case and was taken into ICE custody to face deportation in March 2024. The agency said he was released back into the community by the Biden administration “despite being a criminal illegal alien with no right to remain in our country.”
DHS is now urging Washington Township authorities to transfer Perez-Amador into ICE custody. The agency said it wants to “get this criminal illegal alien off of our streets and back to Guatemala where he belongs.”
Perez-Amador remains in a Warren County jail cell pending his first court appearance, which is scheduled for October 19.
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