TOMS RIVER, NJ — A man charged with kidnapping and assault in an attack on a woman at Aldi in Toms River had entered the United States legally from Colombia, according to federal authorities.
Luis Moreno-Gutierrez, 21, entered U.S. as a nonimmigrant and violated the terms of admission when he failed to depart by Feb. 13, 2022, said Emilio K. Dabul, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Moreno-Gutierrez was arrested Feb. 26 in Englewood, following an incident that started Feb. 25 in the parking lot at Aldi, 86 Route 70, next to Tractor Supply, Toms River police said.
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Police were called to the Aldi for a report of a disturbance in the parking lot, and learned a woman had been kidnapped at knifepoint; she was assaulted and left, unconscious, in a different location that police did not identify. The woman and Moreno-Gutierrez knew each other, police said.
The woman was treated for her injuries at a local hospital, police said.
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Moreno-Gutierrez, who has been charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, has been held at the Ocean County Jail since his arrest; the ICE detainer was added shortly afterward.
Documents show he arrived in the United States from Colombia on Aug. 14, 2021 with nonimmigrant status. A nonimmigrant, according to the Immigration and Nationality Act, includes “foreign government officials, temporary visitors for business and pleasure, aliens in transit, treaty traders and investors, academic and vocational students, temporary workers, exchange visitors, athletes and entertainers, victims of certain crimes, and certain family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs).”
The federal Department of Homeland Security says that nonimmigrants, not including those granted green card status as lawful permanent residents, have limits on the length of their stay and lawful activities, such as employment, travel, and accompaniment by dependents, “prescribed by their class of admission.”
Moreno-Gutierrez did not have any other criminal charges in New Jersey, the Asbury Park Press reported.
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The investigation is continuing, and anyone with relevant information is urged to contact Toms River Police Detective Ryan Parente at 732-349-0150, ext. 1391.
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