U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged a detainer against a migrant illegally living in the U.S. accused of raping a corpse on a New York City subway train. Crime Stoppers released surveillance video showing two men allegedly robbing an unconscious adult male aboard a southbound R train near the Whitehall Street subway station on April 9.
In the video, prosecutors say one of the suspects is also seen performing sexual acts on the unresponsive passenger.
It was later determined that the victim, identified by family as 37-year-old Jorge Gonzalez — a father and husband — had died of natural causes aboard the train, The New York Post reports.
The New York Daily News spoke to Gonzalez’ estranged wife, who investigators told that they believed he died from cirrhosis of the liver after years of alcoholism.
Arrest and charges
The New York City Police Department arrested Felix Rojas on Sunday, April 27. He appeared in court, was arraigned and charged with rape and grand larceny. Prosecutors say he sodomized Gonzalez’s body for more than 30 minutes.
Immigration detainer filed
According to ICE, Rojas had entered the country illegally several times, dating back to 1998. It’s unclear when he last entered the country. ICE has lodged a detainer request following his arrest.
“With impunity, open border policies have allowed violent criminal aliens to terrorize America’s towns and cities,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in the announcement of the detainer.
New York at a crossroads
The graphic crime in a New York City subway comes as Mayor Eric Adams has promised to work with the Trump administration to fight immigration-related crime in his city. Adams had originally signed an executive order to establish an ICE outpost on Rikers Island, but a New York judge, on April 21, issued a temporary restraining order against the plan.
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Dec. 18, 2024, directed 250 members of the New York National Guard to be deployed to Joint Task Force – Empire Shield, an operation aimed at making New York City’s subways safer.
On April 28, President Donald Trump signed an order directing federal agencies to identify and pressure sanctuary cities and states that do not comply with immigration enforcement, of which New York City is one.
