An illegal Guatemalan migrant allegedly behind a twisted year-long arson spree on Long Island walked free under the state’s bail reform laws – but was quickly handed over to ICE in a coordinated effort to keep him behind bars, according to police and officials.
Elder Lopez Avalos, 27, was scooped up by federal immigration agents Tuesday after a judge was forced to cut him loose on non-bail-eligible offenses following his arrest over sparking a string of destructive car fires in Freeport, including a late-night blaze at a municipal parking lot on Sunday.
ICE issued a detainer after his Sunday arrest, and under an agreement with the agency, authorities picked up the accused firebug Tuesday morning and turned him over to the feds.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly blasted New York’s bail reform laws during an afternoon press conference.
“The fact that we even have to do this and have to jump through that extra hoop just goes to show you that these bail reform laws are not working,” Donnelly told reporters.
“You’re handcuffing law enforcement.”
Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, who supports toppling that state’s controversial bail policies, said his department works with all federal partners and will not hesitate to send criminal illegal immigrants into federal custody.
“What we do in Nassau County is if you get arrested, we run your name in the New York State database, and it tells me if there is a detainer, or a judicial hold on you,” Ryder said.
“I will turn you over to ICE. That’s my obligation, and my responsibility to do so. But at the end of the day, it’s real simple – don’t get arrested, and you’re not getting turned over by Nassau County.”
Avalos, a Baldwin resident, was arrested Sunday after cops responded to Municipal Parking Field 1 on Smith Street around 1:30 a.m. and found four parked cars engulfed in flames, police said. --->READ MORE HERE
An alleged serial arsonist has been taken into custody by ICE.
The Nassau County executive says police initially arrested the suspect, an undocumented immigrant, and charged him with setting 10 fires across Nassau County, but a judge released him without bail.
On Tuesday, Nassau County police picked him up to turn him over to immigration authorities.
It was in Freeport where police say the 27-year-old man set multiple vehicles on fire.
The aftermath of one of those car fires from over the weekend can still be seen on the ground. It's one of 10 cars the suspect allegedly set ablaze.
People in Freeport were extremely concerned that Elder Lopez Avalos allegedly set 10 cars in the neighborhood on fire.
"He will open up a gas cap, take a ripped tee shirt he carried with him, he would stuff it in like a wick, he would let it soak up the gas and set it on fire," Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said.
In exclusive video, one of the vehicles can be seen bursting into flames.
Ryder said Lopez Avalos' goal in some of these incidents was to have the fire spread.
"He would pick an area where there is a group of cars, so it's almost like he wanted it to happen to the next one, the one that was three nights ago it jumped to three cars," Ryder said. --->READ MORE HERE
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