A migrant accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a Florida field had applied for asylum just one day before the alleged attack, the local sheriff said.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office (VSO) was alerted to an attack in progress in Pierson, north of Orlando, when the victim dialed 911 pretending to order a pizza with the suspect nearby.
Deputies allegedly found Luis Diego Hernandez-Moncayo, 27, on top of the woman, who was heard screaming for help in video released by the department.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood said Hernandez-Moncayo was in the United States illegally, and alongside three charges, had a detainer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed on him.
Luis Diego Hernandez-Moncayo, 27, is facing three felony charges after a woman was attacked in Pierson, Florida. The suspect had applied for asylum one day before.
Volusia County Sheriff’s Office
Video shared by VSO included the victim saying “I would like to order a pizza” when the 911 dispatcher picked up. The dispatcher quickly understood what was happening and located her phone signal.
“She was able to tell us she was being held by one person, and he was not armed,” the sheriff said.
Bodycam footage showed the woman shouting that Hernandez-Moncayo was trying to rape her as they ran over to tackle the suspect.
“When you watch the video, if you’re a father, if you’re a grandfather, if you’re a brother and you hear those screams coming from our victim, it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up,” Chitwood said.
The woman had reportedly known the suspect, who had turned on her after taking a line of cocaine. He became violent and would not let her go, before trying to rape her, police said. It was at this point the officers arrived.
The sheriff charged him with attempted sexual battery, battery by strangulation, and false imprisonment.
Sheriff Chitwood said he was proud of the victim for getting the information across, as well as his teams for working out what was happening and getting to her in a timely manner.
Volusia County jail records seen by Newsweek showed the suspect was being held on a $12,500 bond.
An immigration detainer, issued by ICE, means the agency can take custody of an illegal immigrant once local law enforcement have released them, be it after a sentenced or if they are bailed out.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security agency then begins its own removal proceedings, usually holding the individual in its own custody during this time. In fiscal year 2024, from Oct. 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024, ICE removed 19,557 individuals with either criminal convictions, or pending criminal charges.
