Online outrage erupts over video of illegal alien's arrest in DC — then the horrific charges against him are revealed | Blaze Media

www.theblaze.com

The arrest of an illegal alien on the streets of Washington, D.C., this week outraged many on the internet — that is, until authorities revealed the charges that had been filed against the suspect.

A reporter captured the arrest on video. It shows ICE agents surrounding a man outside a car. When the man tries to make a run for it, the agents grab him and take him down to the ground. He begins to wail and cry as the arrest continues.

'This man’s screams next to our supposed monuments to freedom should haunt all of us.'

The man yells in Spanish, “Please, I’m not a criminal. I work here; I want to be with my family," according to WRC-TV reporter Aimee Cho, who posted the video Wednesday; the clip has garnered 7.3 million views.

Many online responded emotionally to the video.

"This doesn't make D.C. safer. It'll just make people not come to D.C. The cruelty is always the point," wrote Jessica Tarlov, the liberal co-host of "The Five" on Fox News.

Tarlov later deleted the post when it was revealed that the suspect had been hit with heinous charges.

"I didn’t know he was — the DHS memo on him came out hours after the video," Tarlov wrote. "Wouldn’t ever defend such a person! Hopefully you guys will only go after these types versus hardworking folks that have committed no crimes! Will delete my original tweet."

ICE identified the suspect as David Perez-Teofani, who allegedly crossed the U.S. border illegally three times. He also had been charged with one count of indecent liberties with a child under the age of 13 and aggravated sexual battery.

RELATED: Bakery owners found guilty of harboring illegal aliens after immigration raid

Others were similarly horrified by the video — presumably without knowing the charges against the suspect.

  • "What a deep spiritual wound in the fabric of the country and its history we’re making today, as we destroy hard-working law-abiding American families who, by every rational measure, could be handed a work permit for the benefit of all," responded journalist Pablo De La Rosa.
  • "This man’s screams next to our supposed monuments to freedom should haunt all of us," said one user.
  • "The cruelty is the point," replied the popular "Republicans Against Trump" account.
  • "This may be a sickening video of a family being torn apart, but at least prices are continuing to go up while companies hire less and less people. Perhaps Trump's policies aren't actually making anything better," replied researcher Derek Martin.

    • Josh Gerstein of Politico wrote "#Newnormal" before following up later with the statement about the charges.

    In addition, ICE criticized prosecutors for dropping the case against Perez-Teofani, but Steve Descano — the commonwealth's attorney for Fairfax County, Virginia — accused ICE of misrepresenting the actions of the prosecutor's office.

    In an interview with WRC-TV, Descano said the mother of the victim and the victim stopped communicating with police, and as they were the only witnesses, prosecutors were forced to drop the case. He also pointed out that they could still prosecute him if the witnesses decided to contact police again.

    Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!