FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA-Sanctuary state laws, and New Jersey’s Bail Reform act are about to get a serious test as a man accused of sexually assaulting a child, had fled justice earlier this month has been caught in Fairfax, Virginia and is awaiting extradition.
Lester Antonio Matamoros Garcia is accused of raping a juvenile female in Ship Bottom on September 2nd.
Had Garcia committed his crime in Virginia, there would be no pre-trial hearing and he could be held on trial or released on bail. He could also be subject to action by United States Immigrations Customs Enforcement authorities. There is no sanctuary state and there is no bail reform in Virginia.
In New Jersey, Garcia will be playing by a different set of rules. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, if inclined, would have to plead their case to a liberal New Jersey judge who could set Garcia free after a pretrial hearing. If Garcia has violated any immigration laws, the federal government’s hands are tied because Governor Phil Murphy and Attorney General Gurbir Grewal prohibit the Ocean County Jail and Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office from working with federal officials.
New Jersey officials are not permitted to release Garcia’s immigration status to the media.
All of the work Ship Bottom Police Officers performed to find and capture Garcia, along with those at the Fairfax County Police Department could be thrown out the window and he could be back on the streets hours after an interstate manhunt put him behind bars for his heinous crime.
According to Ship Bottom Police, On September 7th, 2019, LESTER ANTONIO MATAMOROS GARCIA (DOB: 1-12-1987) was arrested by the Fairfax County Police Department in Springfield, Virginia. The arrest was a result of an investigation conducted by the Ship Bottom Police Department and the Ocean County Prosecutors Office Sex Crimes Unit.
On September 2, 2019, a report was made to Patrolman Brian Tretola of the Ship Bottom Police Department by an adult female that her juvenile daughter had been sexually assaulted by a family member which allegedly occurred within the borough of Ship Bottom.
Mr. Garcia had fled the area and all efforts to locate him in the Ocean County area proved negative. It was then learned that Mr. Garcia was in the Springfield, VA area.
Mr. Garcia was later located, taken into custody and interviewed where he stated that he had fled New Jersey because he knew the police were looking for him. Mr. Garcia was charged with Aggravated Sexual Assault, Sexual Assault and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
Mr. Garcia is awaiting extradition back to New Jersey. As of Thursday morning, he is still being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.