A previously deported illegal immigrant accused of kidnapping a four-year-old girl from a Long Island laundromat walked free hours after his arrest when a Suffolk County judge released him on supervised release, sparking outrage from federal immigration officials and local prosecutors who called the decision deeply concerning.

Child Taken From Laundromat, Found At Library

Carlos Corte-Corte, an Ecuadorian national, allegedly abducted the young girl from Laundry Kingdom in Patchogue on March 28. The mother reported her daughter missing, prompting police to review surveillance footage and search the area. Officers discovered the child at the children’s play area of the Patchogue-Medford Library on East Main Street. Police arrested Corte-Corte near the laundromat and charged him with second-degree kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child.

His public defender claimed in court that Corte-Corte believed the girl lived alone without parents and took her to the library to inform staff, but encountered a language barrier. The attorney described the incident as a mistake. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney publicly disagreed with the judge’s decision to release the suspect, stating the facts of the case were clearly concerning.

Deported Three Times, Returned For Fourth Offense

Federal immigration records reveal Corte-Corte illegally entered the United States at least three times in 2020 and was removed each time. He committed a felony by illegally re-entering the country a fourth time at an unknown date and location before the alleged kidnapping attempt. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested him on March 31, three days after the incident, and placed him into removal proceedings.

Sanctuary Policies Under Fire

Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis sharply criticized New York sanctuary policies for preventing cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. She stated that sanctuary politicians chose to release a kidnapper from jail to potentially prey on more innocent children rather than work with ICE. The day after his arrest, the judge freed Corte-Corte on supervised release with a GPS monitor despite his immigration history and the serious charges. Federal officials warned that placing politics above public safety leads to more crimes and more innocent victims, calling the situation insanity that endangers communities.