A man falsely claiming to be an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer sexually assaulted a woman in Maryland after threatening her with deportation and a firearm, according to police.
Victor Antonio Reed, 26, faces 11 different charges in connection with the incident, including first and second-degree rape, impersonating a law enforcement officer, armed robbery and theft. He is being held by the Department of Corrections.
The Prince George's County Police Department's Sexual Assault Unit received a report on Tuesday at around 8:15 p.m. about a rape that occurred in the 5400 block of Saint Barnabas Rd. in Oxon Hill.
Reed Allegedly Flashed His Badge, Showed Victim Videos of ICE Arresting People
Reed approached the victim, a Hispanic woman, in the Sunrise shopping center parking lot, flashed a badge and purported to be an ICE officer, the victim told police. He then instructed her to sit in his car or face deportation.
The woman sat in the passenger seat of Reed's car, and he showed her videos of ICE agents arresting people, the victim said. She told police she was terrified and begged Reed not to deport her, noting that she even offered him money.
Reed also accepted $100 from the victim but told her she would also have to perform oral sex on him to avoid deportation. She initially refused before he directed her attention to a gun in the backseat of the car. She then complied and Reed continued to assault her before allowing her to exit the vehicle.
The victim immediately reported the incident to police. Detectives obtained surveillance video from the shopping center and photos of Reed's vehicle that helped them identify him. Reed was taken into custody at a traffic stop on Thursday. The victim was able to positively identify him in a photo line-up.
ICE, PGPD Release Statement, Urge People to Report Crimes Regardless of Immigrations Status
"ICE ERO Baltimore takes a victim-centered approach to immigration enforcement in order to facilitate access to justice and victim-based immigration benefits by noncitizen crime victims. Absent exceptional circumstances, ICE will refrain from taking civil immigration enforcement action against victims of crime who come forward with pertinent information," ICE ERO Baltimore Acting Field Office Director Darius Reeves said in a statement.
PGPD said they serve every resident regardless of immigration status, and no one needs to fear any trouble with immigration for reporting a crime.
"Unfortunately, we see this a lot in the Hispanic community or immigrant communities. The issue of law enforcement or ICE is used against them, and their immigration status [is used against them]. A lot of the time they cooperate believing that said person is a legitimate law enforcement officer or agent," said PGPD Captain Saul Serpas.
Serpas said if unsure, people have the right to verify if someone is a real law enforcement agent or officer. "The first step is to check their uniform to make sure it's a legitimate uniform," he said, adding that in this case, Reed was not wearing a uniform and also did not have a marked vehicle of any kind. "The second step is to verify an identification with a picture, law-enforcement agency, title, and name of the individual."
Serpas said if you're still unsure you can contact a supervisor with the agency they're supposedly with or if still unsure you or someone with you can call local police to verify they are legitimate.
