Costa Rican sex predators caught in New Jersey

Jim Kouri:

Working closely with Interpol and authorities in Costa Rica, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have tracked down and arrested two international fugitives living in New Jersey.

Both men are Costa Rican nationals wanted in their home country for serious sex crimes, one for raping a girl with a mental handicap.

Officers from ICE's office of Detention and Removal in Newark arrested 42-year-old Saul Hidalgo-Molina, at his residence in Bound Brook. Hidalgo was the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant issued by authorities in Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica, in February 2006. He has agreed to stipulate that he was in the country illegally and has already been ordered removed by an immigration judge. He will be removed as quickly as possible and turned over to Costa Rican authorities.

Special agents from ICE's office of Investigations in Newark arrested 31-year-old Harry Jimenez-Duarte on a 1996 charge of aggravated rape in Costa Rica. Jimenez was living in West Orange at the time of his arrest.

According to the INTERPOL warrant, Jimenez sexually abused a mentally handicapped girl. The suspect apparently approached the girl as she was walking to a relative's home, abducted her and raped her. According to INTERPOL, Jimenez threatened to kill the girl during the crime.

Jimenez entered the United States without inspection. He is being held without bond and faces removal proceedings for being illegally present.

In addition to the two fugitives, ICE arrested a woman present at the West Orange location. That individual was has been charged with an immigration violation for being illegally present in the U.S. She was photographed, fingerprinted and ordered to appear in immigration court.

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