|
U.S. Marshals Arrest Two of
Puerto Rico Fugitive Task Force's Most Wanted Fugitives
San Juan, PR - Lesvia Maldonado,
the Acting United States Marshal for the District of Puerto Rico, and the
Puerto Rico Police Department announce the arrests of Martina
Encarnacion-Steemer and Jose Marcial-Lopez. They were arrested today
in the city of Orlando, Florida without incident by members of the Orange
County Fugitive Task Force.
Jose Marcial-Lopez, wanted for Sexual Abuse of a Child, and Martina
Encarnacion-Steemer, wanted for Assisting in the Commission of these crimes,
were presumed to be located in the state of Florida.
After a news conference in Puerto Rico on Friday, September 21, 2007,
information was provided by readers and viewers which was corroborated by
the U.S. Marshals Service and ultimately contributed to the capture of the
couple.
On September 28th, members of the Orange
County Task Force proceeded to 2601 McCoy Road in Belles Isles, Florida in
the Orange County area where Martina Encarnacion-Steemer was found with two
of her children at a local hotel where they were living for the past two
months. The other child was actively in school while her husband Marcial-Lopez
was working.
Encarnacion-Steemer was immediately placed under arrest and a team of
Deputies were sent to locate and arrest her husband Jose Marcial-Lopez at
his place of work where he was also arrested without incident.
Both subjects were charged in Orange County as Fugitives from Justice in
local court and are being housed at the Orange County Jail where they await
extradition to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
The Puerto Rico Fugitive Task Force - a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
(HIDTA) Initiative - comprises agents from the Puerto Rico Police
Department, the Puerto Rico Corrections Department, the Puerto Rico State
Marshals, Special Investigations Bureau and United States Marshals. Since
its creation in 1997, this Task Force claims the arrest of more than 4,000
violent offenders. |
