Illegal alien with child sex abuse charges arrested near national mall after ice manhunt

WASHINGTON, DC — A Mexican national previously deported twice and charged with sex crimes involving a child in Virginia was arrested last week by federal agents near the National Mall, ending a long-running search that began after local authorities released him back into the community.

David Perez-Teofani, 35, was taken into custody on Tuesday near the iconic stretch of Washington landmarks by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department. ICE officials said Perez-Teofani was in the country illegally and had reentered the U.S. after being deported on two previous occasions.

In January, Perez-Teofani was arrested by Fairfax County Police and charged with aggravated sexual battery and proposing sex acts involving a child under 13. Despite those serious allegations, the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center released him after declining to honor an ICE immigration detainer. Local prosecutors later dropped the child sex crime charges, but ICE continued pursuing the suspect for federal immigration violations.

According to ICE, Perez-Teofani first entered the U.S. illegally before being apprehended in 2014 and deported on November 9 of that year. Just days later, he attempted to reenter the country using a fraudulent U.S. passport at the San Ysidro port of entry in California. He was arrested again, and removed a second time on November 23, 2014. At some point after that, he crossed the border illegally for a third time.

Officials say Perez-Teofani drew public attention during his arrest near the National Mall by loudly crying and resisting agents, prompting onlookers to gather.

Federal officials confirmed Perez-Teofani will be removed from the United States for immigration violations despite the dropped criminal charges.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.