Three illegal immigrants from Portugal, and a man they were all living with, are facing charges in the death of a 1-year-old boy in Rhode Island, according to a news release.
Deportation officers apprehended the three women, aged 32, 25 and 22, on immigration charges in Pawtucket on Feb. 17, according to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
They were initially arrested on Feb. 11 by the Pawtucket Police Department when police responded to the residence where the three women were living — along with a man thought to be the boy’s father.
Officers found the child, who was named Santiago, unresponsive with bruising on his face.
The boy was reportedly later pronounced dead at a local hospital, according to ICE.
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Boston ICE announced today the arrest of three illegal immigrants charged in the death of a Rhode Island infant.
Police found the unresponsive boy with bruises on his face after an emergency call to their residence and the boy later died.
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“The alleged crimes of these unlawfully present individuals resulted in the death of an innocent child,” said Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons, according to the news release.
“Those who commit crimes against children must be held accountable. Unlawfully present foreign nationals posing a danger to our New England communities cannot expect to escape the consequences of their actions.”
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A Boston.com article identified the three women in the country illegally as 22-year-old Carolina Ledo, 25-year-old Daniela Ledo and 32-year old Carla Sousa. The man was identified as Joao Resendes, 25.
The Boston Globe reported that Resendes and Carolina Ledo are the boy’s parents, Daniela Ledo is his aunt, and Sousa has no relation, except that she was apparently in an open relationship with Resendes, according to a man who knows the family and, according to the Globe, “identifies as Santiago’s uncle.”
All three women reportedly lived together with Resendes in one apartment.
According to WJAR-TV in Providence, Rhode Island, Carolina Ledo and Sousa were at a laundromat when Carolina received a text from Resendes “saying he thought their son was dead, but not to tell anyone.”
The 911 call was not placed until an hour later, WJAR reported.
According to ICE, the women were charged with felony child endangerment. Resendes was charged with manslaughter, three counts of second-degree child abuse, and child endangerment.
According to the Globe, he spoke in court during a Feb. 14 appearance through the services of a Portuguese interpreter.
According to ICE, one of the Portuguese nationals had overstayed her nonimmigrant tourist visa since April 1998. The other two arrived in 2016 and 2022 respectively. ICE didn’t specify which women arrived in which years.
The three women were reportedly released on $10,000 surety bails after their arraignments.
Resendes had a $100,000 surety bail, according to WJAR. It wasn’t clear Sunday whether he was able to post it.
In its December annual report, ICE revealed that the Enforcement and Removal Operations directorate had significantly increased the number of immigration enforcement arrests, nearly doubling the figures reported in 2022.
Additionally, ERO carried out 142,580 removals and 62,545 Title 42 expulsions to more than 170 countries globally in 2023.
ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority responsible for domestic immigration enforcement, according to ICE.
