OPERATION SUFFOLK PREDATOR’S FINAL ARREST

Suffolk Life/James Montalto

After conducting a local sweep of registered sex offenders on March 2, federal Immigration andCustoms Enforcement agents in collaboration with Suffolk police officials arrested 28 residing inthe county illegally. Those targeted during the sweep had prior convictions of rape, sexual abuse,sexual misconduct and forcible touching, according to ICE. The 28 arrested under Operation SuffolkPredator reside throughout the western portion of Suffolk and had prior felony or misdemeanorconvictions for sex offenses committed in the county. Since July 2003, the sweeps have caught 5,000sexual predators who should have been deported after they were released from prison. Many of thelocal predators' victims were between 6 and 12 years old. The predators have been placed in federalcustody and are currently being held at contract detention facilities in Passaic and Bergencounties in New Jersey and await removal proceedings.

As of last month there were at least 800 registered sex offenders in Suffolk, according to LauraAhearn, executive director of Parents for Megan's Law. She said sexual abuse is not necessarily agreater problem among undocumented immigrants than it is among other groups. The profile of a sexoffender isn't somebody from a certain class or race or socioeconomic status, she said.

Aris Calles, 22, of Manor Lane in Bay Shore, was placed under arrest when he showed up for hisprobation appointment in Hauppauge on March 2. Apparently, Calles avoided the early morning sweepthat day when the group of 27 were arrested.

Police said they believe the raid captured all of the undocumented offenders. Those arrestedinclude: Reynaldo Acosta of Brentwood; Frede Bonilla of Huntington Station; Mario Bonilla ofHuntington; Ricardo Brice of Central Islip; Jorge Castellanos of Central Islip; Enrique Diaz ofBrentwood; Juan Diaz of Brentwood; Jorge Garcia of Port Jefferson Station; Jose Giron of Wyandanch;Jeronimo Gonzalez of Central Islip; Juan Hernandez of Lindenhurst; Roberto Hernandez of Brentwood;Aristoles Jiminez of Brentwood; Raymundo Lopez of Wyandanch; Wilfredo Lopez of Bellport; ReynaldoMarquez of Bay Shore; Jeremias Mejia of Brentwood; Saul Morocho of Copiague; Amadeo Ochoa-Nativi ofHuntington; Salvador Palma of Brentwood; Guillermo Ramirez of Huntington Station; Adrian Romero ofBay Shore; Roddy Sanchez of Central Islip; Renee Santos of Lindenhurst; Jorge Suarez of Brentwood;Ken Thompson of Brentwood and Ysidro Urena of Copiague.

(New York)