A migrant who entered the country illegally and was previously deported has been arrested for stabbing a 14-year-old Illinois girl at her brother’s baseball game.
At about 3:45 p.m. local time on Saturday, the teenage girl was with her mother watching her brother play on a field in unincorporated Lowell, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Chicago.
Dimas Gabriel Yanez, 26, allegedly stabbed the girl in the hand and also tried to stab her mother with a “butcher knife.” Both parents have not yet been identified.
Yanez, who authorities say was deported to Honduras in 2018 and then returned to the U.S. illegally, was chased into the woods near the field, where police found the knife.
An “extensive” manhunt took place, with several law enforcement agencies, K9 and aviation units searching for Yanez, according to police.
Dimas Gabriel Yanez, a 26-year-old migrant who entered the country illegally and was previously deported, has been arrested for stabbing a 14-year-old Illinois girl at her brother’s baseball game
According to local sheriffs, Yanez had cut his hair to confuse people looking for him before he was arrested.
He was eventually found in a cornfield on Sunday afternoon, and police took him into custody after pursuing him on foot.
Investigators believe Yanez may have committed additional crimes since returning to the United States.
Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said in a statement that the Department of Homeland Security has been notified of Yanez’s arrest.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of the Lake County police officers and all law enforcement agencies who worked tirelessly in the investigation and investigation of this case,” Martinez said.
“I am proud of the level of cooperation shown by police officers across the region. I would also like to thank the public for sharing information responsibly and for helping with useful tips that officers could use,” he added.
The 14-year-old victim was treated for her injuries at a local hospital and later released.
Martinez adds that the investigation is still ongoing.
According to local sheriffs, Yanez had cut his hair to deter people trying to find him before he was arrested.
On Saturday at approximately 3:45 p.m. local time, the teenage girl was with her mother watching her brother play on a field in unincorporated Lowell, about 100 miles west of Chicago
Illinois and the Chicago area are among the top hubs for the US migrant crisis.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was was named America’s “worst sanctuary mayor” by a migration watchdog in August.
According to the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI), Johnson has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on migrants while his own constituents live in poverty.
Republicans blame the Biden administration for allowing asylum seekers from Mexico, but Dale Wilcox, executive director of IRLI, says progressive mayors should also take some of the blame.
The outspoken approach of Johnson, Adams and other mayors is one of the “greatest magnets drawing illegal aliens to this country,” Wilcox said.
“While they claim to be more compassionate than their critics, in reality, the policies of these mayors are causing unacceptable levels of overcrowding, criminal activity and deaths in their communities,” he adds.
Research has shown that immigrants, including those in the U.S. illegally, are no more likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born Americans.
Last year, Johnson won a surprise election victory as the insurgent progressive senator who unseated incumbent Sen. Lori Lightfoot.
Yanez, who authorities say was deported to Honduras in 2018 before illegally returning to the U.S., was chased into the woods near the field, where police found the knife
But since taking charge of City Hall, he has run into trouble as his plans to raise taxes and combat homelessness have been thwarted.
He has fought the influx of asylum seekers, who have overwhelmed shelters and taken up residence in police stations and Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
In April, he asked the City Council to release an additional $70 million to house the tens of thousands of newcomers.
But his new migrant shelters were quickly criticized by residents.
They said the newcomers were getting a better deal than poor locals, who risked being evicted and sleeping on the streets.
Despite high expectations at his inauguration, Johnson’s popularity has declined.
In an April poll, only 9 percent of Chicagoans said they were doing their job “above average.”