WASHINGTON BOROUGH, N.J. – The man accused of kidnapping a 6-year-old girl from her New Jersey home and sexually assaulting her is a Guatemalan citizen living illegally in the United States who had previously been in federal immigration custody, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Lester Noe Perez-Amador, 27, was initially charged with first-degree kidnapping and first-degree home invasion burglary after the child disappeared from her Washington Borough home early Saturday. Investigators subsequently charged him with two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
The new immigration information adds another dimension to a case that began when the girl was reported missing at approximately 2:51 a.m. She was found about an hour later walking back toward her home and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
DHS Says Perez-Amador Was in ICE Custody in 2024
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Perez-Amador entered the United States illegally at an unknown time and location.
Federal officials said he was arrested on a DUI charge in March 2024 and transferred into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for removal proceedings.
DHS said Perez-Amador was subsequently released from immigration custody during the Biden administration. The agency did not publicly detail the legal mechanism or circumstances that resulted in his release.
ICE has now lodged an immigration detainer against Perez-Amador following his latest arrest and is seeking custody of him if he is released from state custody.
The immigration history prompted a sharp response from New Jersey Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew.
“A 6-year-old girl was kidnapped from her home and sexually assaulted by an illegal immigrant in New Jersey,” Van Drew said. “He had already been in ICE custody in 2024 and was RELEASED back into our communities.”
“She deserved to be protected,” Van Drew added.
Girl Escaped and Walked Back Toward Her Home
The case began when police received a report that the 6-year-old was missing from her Washington Borough residence.
“Initial investigation while on scene determined the child to be a victim of a kidnapping from her home,” authorities said.
About an hour after the initial call, officers located the girl walking back toward her home. She was transported to a hospital for treatment.
Investigators determined Perez-Amador was known to the child but have not publicly disclosed additional details about their relationship.
A coordinated investigation involving local, county, state and federal authorities led to Perez-Amador’s arrest within approximately 24 hours. The investigation continued, and authorities later filed the aggravated sexual assault and child endangerment charges.
Perez-Amador remains held at the Warren County Correctional Center while prosecutors pursue pretrial detention.
Warren County disputes New Jersey’s sanctuary state policies saying, “On May 30, 2025 Warren County was incorrectly included in a list of states and local jurisdictions deemed Sanctuary Jurisdictions by the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS).”
The jail also declares, “Warren County has always cooperated, and will continue to cooperate, with the DHS, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and all federal immigration laws.”
Case Joins Other Recent New Jersey Crimes Involving Illegal Immigrants
The Perez-Amador case comes as immigration status has surfaced in several other serious New Jersey criminal cases covered by Shore News Network.
In Ocean County, immigration authorities recently lodged detainers against two women charged following a deadly Jackson Township crash that killed a 9-month-old boy. DHS said both women had previous immigration enforcement histories, including orders to leave the United States.
The Jackson case followed another Ocean County prosecution in which an illegal immigrant was sentenced to seven years in state prison for an armed home invasion shooting in Jackson. Prosecutors said Gardin A. Guevara-Umanzor fired multiple rounds inside a home occupied by adults and children, while immigration records showed an active ICE detainer.
Shore News Network also reported this year that an illegal immigrant was arrested in Ocean County on child sexual assault charges. Armando Chuluc Ajcivinac was charged with aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault involving a child under 13 and was also the subject of an ICE detainer.
In July, a Canadian woman accused of assaulting a juvenile on the Point Pleasant Beach Boardwalk was taken into ICE custody after DHS said she had overstayed her visa.