The granddaughter of a 92-year-old woman who was raped and murdered in the Richmond Hill neighborhood of Queens last month has blamed New York City’s “sanctuary city” policies for the woman’s death.
In January, New York City police arrested an illegal immigrant from Guyana, Reeaz Khan, for the murder and sexual assault of the woman, Maria Fuertes.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated that it had filed a detainer for Khan in November 2019, when he was arrested on assault and weapons charges. Tragically, that detainer was ignored and Khan was released onto the streets.
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President Trump invited Ms. Fuertes’ granddaughter, Daria Ortiz, to speak at the conclusion of his address to members of the National Border Patrol Council at the White House South Court Auditorium on February 14.
During her emotion-filled talk, Ortiz introduced herself as “the granddaughter of Maria Eusebia Fuertes, the 92-year-old woman who was raped and murdered in Queens.:
Continuing, the obviously grief stricken Ortiz said:
My grandmother was … a shining example of when people come legally to this country, work hard, and do the right thing and are law-abiding citizens….
Unfortunately, my grandmother had to be the example of why something like this horrific crime should never happen.
Our family’s hope is that her death was not in vain and that preventative measures are put into place to ensure that nothing like this ever happens to anyone again.
The tragedy in all of this is the fact that this could have been avoided had there been no sanctuary law. The tragedy is my grandma is not ever going to be here again.
Ortiz had to fight back tears and paused and Trump told her: “Take your time. Take your time.”
She continued:
The man that is responsible for this should have never had the opportunity to do this had his multiple offenses not been ignored. The system not only failed our family but it failed our city. Our family would like to thank the administration for acknowledging my family’s tragedy and extending their concerns in this tragic time. Thank you very much.
Trump referred to this crime during his February 4 State of the Union address when he said: “Just 29 days ago, a criminal alien freed by the sanctuary city of New York was charged with the brutal rape and murder of a 92-year-old woman. The killer had been previously arrested for assault, but under New York’s sanctuary policies, he was set free. If the city had honored ICE’s detainer request, his victim would still be alive today.”
The New American has repeatedly published articles detailing how sanctuary city or county policies across our nation have freed dangerous illegal aliens. An article in December noted: “An illegal-alien manslaughter suspect was on the loose in New York until recently thanks to yet another sanctuary county that ignored a request from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold him.”
Other articles posted last August and December told similar stories taking place in Montgomery County, Maryland and Philadelphia, respectively.
Photo: JANIFEST/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Warren Mass has served The New American since its launch in 1985 in several capacities, including marketing, editing, and writing. Since retiring from the staff several years ago, he has been a regular contributor to the magazine. Warren writes from Texas and can be reached at [email protected].
Related articles:
Sanctuary County Releases Manslaughter Suspect Despite ICE Detainer
Cops: Illegals Raped 11-year-old in Montgomery County in 2018. County Became Sanctuary Last Month
Sanctuary Philly Frees Sex Fiend Suspect Despite ICE Detainers; Agency Releases Threat List
Another Illegal Alien Charged In Rape In Montgomery County, Md.
