Ritzy Nantucket is rocked by arrest of illegal migrant, 28, over his ‘detestable and disturbing rape’ of child
The posh Massachusetts island of Nantucket has been shocked after an illegal immigrant was arrested for his “despicable and disturbing rape” of a child.
Bryan Daniel Aldana-Arevalo, 28, a Salvadoran national, was arrested on September 10 for an alleged incident that occurred on July 11 with a 12-year-old, the Boston Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (IMF) announced Monday.
According to the agency, he is charged with rape of a child within a 10-year age gap and two counts of sexual assault and battery of a child under 14.
Aldana-Arevalo pleaded not guilty at his July 26 arraignment and was held on $20,000 bail. He was released on July 29 after posting bail.
“Bryan Daniel Aldana-Arevalo is accused of a number of horrific and disturbing crimes against a child on Nantucket,” said Todd M. Lyons, director of ERO Boston Field Office.
This comes just months after two men were charged with the murder of Jocelyn Nungaray, 12, who was found dead in a creek near her Houston home in June.
Bryan Daniel Aldana-Arevalo, 28, (pictured) a Salvadoran national, was arrested on September 10 for an alleged incident that occurred on July 11 in Nantucket
Nantucket police were contacted by the NYPD after a mother brought her 12-year-old child to NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn and reported a sexual assault that had occurred on the small island while they were visiting family.
Nungaray made national headlines and was at the center of the presidential debate when it was later revealed that two Venezuelan migrants, Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, and Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, had been released into the country despite being intercepted by border agents.
Both men were charged with first-degree murder and in July it was confirmed that Nungaray had been raped before he was killed by the two illegal immigrants, police said.
They are accused of luring the girl under a bridge, where they stayed with her for two hours until the men came out alone.
Her body was found the next morning, having been strangled, bound, and thrown into a bayou. She was naked from the waist down.
Aldana-Arevalo was summoned to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge on Tuesday and remained in custody as of Monday morning, officials said.
On July 11, Nantucket police were contacted by the NYPD after a mother brought her 12-year-old child to NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn and reported sexual abuse. Nantucket Current reported.
This comes just months after two men were charged in the murder of Jocelyn Nungaray, 12, who was found dead in a creek near her Houston home in June.
Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, (left) and Johan Jose Rangel-Martinez, 21, (right) were charged with first-degree murder and were confirmed in July to have raped Nungaray
The incident is said to have occurred when the mother and daughter were visiting family in Nantucket.
A social worker then contacted NYPD detectives about the assault, after which Nantucket police questioned the minor about the incident with Aldana-Arevalo, a relative of the child, the site said.
“He poses a grave danger to the children of our Massachusetts communities. ERO Boston will not tolerate such a threat to the most vulnerable of our population,” Lyons said of Aldana-Arevalo.
“We continue to put the safety of our public first by arresting and removing serious offenders without civil rights from our New England neighborhoods.”
According to the agency, the illegal migrant “illegally entered the United States on an unknown date and location” and “has not been inspected, admitted, or placed on probation by a U.S. immigration official.”
His attorney, Rob Moriarty, argued for a $2,500 bail for Aldana-Arevalo, which the newspaper said was what his client “could afford.”
A second illegal migrant was arrested by ICE agents on the tiny island on September 11 and was identified Tuesday as Gean Do Amaral Belafronte, 31 (pictured)
Moriarty added that Aldana-Arevalo, who has lived on the island for three years, will not have to post bail because he remained on Nantucket during the investigation.
“The purpose of bail is not to punish the defendant, but to ensure that he appears before a judge,” Moriarty said.
According to Nantucket County Court Judge James Sullivan, the $20,000 bail was kept in place due to the seriousness of the charges, but it could be revised later by the court, the Nantucket Current reports.
A second illegal migrant was arrested by ICE agents on the tiny island on September 11. He was identified Tuesday as Gean Do Amaral Belafronte, 31.
Belafronte was charged with sexual assault and battery on a person 14 years of age or older, ERO Boston reported.
The alleged incident occurred on April 13, 2021, and according to the police report obtained by Nantucket Current, Belefronte allegedly approached the victim, grabbed her, pushed her to the ground and climbed on top of her.
The alleged incident involving Belafronte occurred on April 13, 2021, where he allegedly approached the victim, grabbed her, pushed her to the ground and climbed on top of her
During the alleged attack, he told the female victim, “I will rape you,” while “licking her lips.”
Belafronte was scheduled to appear in court on June 9, but he never showed up.
Therefore, the Nantucket court issued a standard warrant for his arrest, which resulted in his re-arrest. He was released on bail later that day.
The Brazilian national legally entered the U.S. on Oct. 8, 2018, but after violating the terms of his entry, he “voluntarily” left the country on April 18, 2021 — five days after the alleged incident occurred, the agency reported.
On an unknown date and location, “without being inspected, admitted, or placed on probation” by an ICE official, Belafronte re-entered the U.S.
On March 12, 2024, he was arrested again and at 3:00 p.m. that day, he was charged with assault and battery. Belafronte was then released on $500 bail.