Charlottesville, VA – Federal immigration officers have arrested a 36-year-old Mexican national convicted of sex crimes against a child after he attempted to flee following a court appearance in Charlottesville.
Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Washington, D.C. field office took David Ambrosio-Herrera into custody on Sept. 25 after he left Albemarle County Circuit Court, where he had just been convicted of indecent liberties with a child under 15.
Ambrosio-Herrera, who has entered the United States illegally three times, was apprehended after a brief foot chase through downtown Charlottesville.
Repeat illegal reentry and prior convictions
According to ICE, Ambrosio-Herrera was first arrested by U.S. Border Patrol in 2007 after crossing the border unlawfully. He voluntarily returned to Mexico, attempted to reenter three days later, and was again detained. At some point thereafter, he reentered the country undetected.
Court records show a pattern of criminal activity spanning more than a decade. In 2014, Charlottesville police charged Ambrosio-Herrera with identity theft for possessing a fictitious identification card. He was convicted and served a 30-day jail sentence.
Three years later, Albemarle County authorities arrested him on five counts of perjury for submitting false written declarations. ICE initiated removal proceedings following that arrest.
Sex offense conviction and suspended sentence
On Oct. 25, 2024, Ambrosio-Herrera was arrested again—this time for exposing himself to a child at a school bus stop. He was convicted in September 2025 of indecent liberties with a child under 15 and sentenced to six years in prison, with all six years suspended, followed by two years of supervised probation.
The court also ordered him to register as a sex offender in Virginia.
ICE vows continued enforcement against criminal reentrants
Following the conviction, ICE officers moved quickly to take Ambrosio-Herrera into federal custody for removal.
“David Ambrosio Herrera is a serial criminal illegal alien and a convicted child sex offender,” said Joseph Simon, acting field office director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Washington, D.C. “He has illegally reentered the country multiple times, has prior criminal convictions, and should have never been here to traumatize this child. ICE will continue prioritizing public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien threats from our communities.”
Ambrosio-Herrera will remain in ICE custody pending his deportation to Mexico.